Escaping Phantom
by maraqua90210
Summary: Yes, I know, there are probably a million of these, but I think I really might have something here. This story is about Danny's daughter, Dannika, who genetically inherited Danny's ghost powers. Meaning, she's had them since she was born.
1. Daddy's Little Girl

_**Chapter One**_

_**Daddy's Little Girl**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_It is a good twenty-one years after Phantom Planet. Danny and Sam have gone from friends, to dating, to married. Tucker was the youngest Mayor in Amity Park history, served his term, and resigned for a couple of years to be with his friends and kick some ghost butt again._

_However, a lot has changed. The Government became interested in Danny's ghost fighting and ghost powers. Though they have stopped hunting Danny, and put to rest their urge to run tests on him, they still wanted to know more about him. This being so, the Guy's in White went to Fenton Works and offered a proposition for Danny: the government will pay him for his services, and in return, Danny would willingly hand over his knowledge, both of his parents' weapons and devises, and of ghosts._

_At first, Danny refused. He didn't want to be paid to fight ghosts, and he wasn't willing to give up that knowledge…_

_The Guys in White reluctantly accepted this answer and left, only to return with a similar offer, this time, Danny didn't have to give up the knowledge behind his parents' weapons and devises, only his knowledge of ghosts. With his parents due to retire at any moment, and their financials going down the drain, Danny reluctantly agreed, knowing that this time, it wasn't just him and his parents he had to worry about, but his and Sam's soon-to-be child._

_Just a little thing of what isn't put into this story… It may be hinted at, but that's the background, from Phantom Planet to fourteen years before this story starts. You can kinda guess what happened between then and the beginning of this story, and that will also be hinted at if you have absolutely no clue…_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

"Don't forget the… Er… ghost catcher…" Sam said, looking quizzically at the device the government had given Danny. It was a large, bulky object, that looked much like the bazooka. It had a flat top with a screen toward the back. It served as a Fenton Thermos, with the exception that it counted the amount of ghosts caught, and the amount lost. Those calculations were sent back to the government.

"I don't see why we don't just use the Fenton Thermos… This thing isn't very… _transportable_." Danny replied, taking the weapon from his wife. The two stood in the doorway of Fenton Works, Danny having just received a call that a small city in Europe needed his help.

"The Fenton Thermos doesn't put food on our table," Sam sighed, straightening Danny's shirt. The scrawny boy who had once been had grown into a muscular man. His jet black hair was fading from stress, his bangs had grown into his eyes, having not had time for a hair cut in recent months. He still wore blue jeans and a white T-shirt, however, with a red tie instead of a logo.

Danny smiled and kissed his wife before saying, "I miss the old days as much as you." A low beeping, then, sounded from his wrist. Growling, Danny looked at a devise that resembled a watch, however instead of time, it transmitted messages straight from the government.

"You better go," Sam murmured, kissing him on the cheek. Danny gave her a longing stare before turning, transforming into "Phantom", and flying off. The new "Phantom" jumpsuit was still black and white, but with white sides, going from the armpit to the waist-band with black stripes. The boots had a black stripe running from the top to the heal. The gloves each had two black stripes on them. The "DP" logo remained on his chest.

From her perch on the stairs, Dannika Fenton watched her mother sigh and head into the kitchen to start supper. "Why don't you two just get _normal_ jobs?" she hissed under her breathe before retreating to the sanctuary of her room. What had once been Danny's room was now the girl's. The walls remained blue, but the posters of astronauts and space ships were gone, replaced with drawings, doodles, corkboards, and pictures of Dannika and her friends. The girl wasn't very tall, and easily targeted by the more popular girls at school. Looking into her full body mirror, which hung on the back of her door, she glowered at her reflection. She had black hair, and bangs that hung to the left. The rest of her shoulder length hair was pulled into a small pony tail atop her head. She wore a white T-shirt with a red logo, and red seams. The shirt fit her form nicely, cutting off just above her belly button. She wore a jean-miny-skirt, and red all-star high-tops. Her eyes were icy-blue, much like Danny's. Suddenly, a white ring appeared around her waist, splitting in two. The, now, two rings traveled in opposite directions along the length of her form, only to disappear as they reached pure air. The teen was still dressed in her white and red T-shirt, jean skirt, and all-star tennis shoes, however, now her hair was snowy white, and her eyes a glowing green. "Like father like daughter," she sighed, before slipping through the floor and into the basement, undetected by her mother.

The basement of Fenton Works was much the same as it was when Danny was fourteen. The Fenton Portal, now fixed, was at the back and shelves littered with boxes, test tubes and beakers could be found at every wall. Dannika stopped in front of the portal. She stared at it a moment, calculating, before she turned to one of the shelves. Pushing a few boxes aside, she retrieved a small, red, velvet covered box. Clearing a spot on the table at the back of the room, she placed the box on the table and opened it. Inside were several note books, pencils and a folder. Opening one of the notebooks, she flipped through the pages. The pages contained several notes, symbols and observations. Dannika stopped at one of the pages. Tearing it out of the notebook, she examined what she had written:

Ectoplasmic energy + human DNA = Halfa

Fenton Portal cause of Halfa creation

Halfa + Goth = Halfa daughter

Below the three notes was a drawing of the ghost portal. Below that were notes of how the Fenton Portal worked and guesses of how Danny had stumbled upon his powers. Growling, Dannika crumpled the paper and threw it across the room. Spotting a can on the floor she angrily kicked it. The can flew into the weapons vault. Suddenly there was a loud crash as something in the vault fell tumbling to the floor. Wincing at the sound, Dannika converted back to her human form and, wondering why the vault was even open in the first place, peered into it. She saw a box had toppled over. Cocking an eyebrow, she went to investigate.

The contents of the box were splayed across the floor. There was a black and purple diary; a picture of Jack, Maddie, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Danny; posters of astronauts and space shuttles; a notebook; and a jump suit. Grabbing the jump suit, Dannika unfolded it to examine it. As the material unfolded, a note fell from the folds. Picking it up, Dannika examined it. She recognized her aunt's handwriting. For the most part, it said a lot of nonsense about another portal and Vlad.

Shrugging, Dannika tossed the note to the side and went back to the jump suit. It was black and white with a DP symbol on the chest. It looked very similar to the one Danny wore when he went ghost, except without the white sides and black stripes.

"Dannika!" Sam called. "Sweetie, is everything okay down there?"

"Uh- Yes, Mom!" Dannika called back, moving to the little diary. Opening it, she found the owner's name on the first page:

_This Diary Belongs To: Sam Manson_

_Do NOT read!!!!_

"You had a diary?" Dannika laughed.

"Yes, I did." Sam murmured. Jumping, Dannika turned around to find her mother standing behind her. The young Sam had grown into a beautiful woman. Her hair remained short, but she no longer wore a pony-tail. Instead, she wore a gray headband, keeping her hair out of her eyes. Her bangs were no more. She wore a dark purple, long-sleeved shirt and black pants, mostly with no shoes around the house. When she went shopping or out in public, she still wore her old combat boots. Gently taking the book from her daughter, Sam flipped through the pages. "I haven't seen this in years." Dannika stared in wonder. She had never seen her mother so hypnotized. Snapping back to herself, the woman turned to her daughter. "And just what were you doing here?"

"Nothing!" Dannika replied, a bit too quickly. "I, uh, I mean… The vault was open and… uh…"

"Save it," Sam sighed, picking the box back up and replacing the diary in it. Dannika got down on her hands and knees and started helping her pick up. She noted where her mother stored the box, before following Sam to the kitchen for dinner.

* * *

As usual, dinner was rather quiet without Danny. Present at the table were Sam, Jack, Maddie, Dannika, and Jake, Dannika's older brother. The only noise coming from the table was Jack's obnoxious eating habits. When she finally lost her appetite, Dannika pushed her plate away from her, and asked, "May I be excused?"

Sam smiled gently at her daughter. "Of course, but if you get hungry, remember there'll be leftovers in the refrigerator."

"Ye-eah, Mom!" Dannika replied with a wave as she headed up the stairs and to her room. Once she was sure no one had followed her, the girl changed back into her ghostly half and flew down to the weapons vault where she retrieved the box. When she was once again in the safety of her room, Dannika locked her door, and began snooping through the box. She pulled out the jump suit and stared at it a moment before trying it on. It was a bit big, but nothing she couldn't fix. Pulling the suit off again, she grabbed a pair of scissors from her desk. She, then, pulled in the material around the waist and fixed it to be more form-fitting. When she tried it on again, it fit snuggly, like a jump suit should. She then went to her mirror and looked at her new outfit. Covering her ponytail with her hand, she sighed. She looked even more like her father than ever.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Turning, she threw herself on her bed, adjacent to her door, and picked up the cellular device. "Hello?" she said.

"_Hey, Dannie! You won't believe what I just saw on TV!"_ the excited voice on the other end trilled.

"Lemme guess, my dad just kicked some ghost butt?" Dannika asked sarcastically.

"_No! He _is_ kicking some ghost butt! It's awesome! I don't get why you hate him so much…"_

Dannika sighed. "Listen, Tiffany, I don't feel like talking about it tonight…"

"_Oh, right! The whole 'I don't want ghost powers" thing again…" _Tiffany replied teasingly.

"Tiff!" Dannika objected.

"Dannika! Are you alright in there?" Sam's voice came in from the other side of the door, the handle shaking violently. "Dannika!"

"Gotta go!" Dannika said before closing the phone and rushing to the door. She transformed back into human form just before opening the door. "Ever heard of privacy?" she snapped, glaring at her mother. Sam crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the room.

"Dannika, what has gotten into you?" Sam asked, squeezing past her daughter and picking up the box.

"Nothing! I -" The girl's explanation was cut short by her phone ringing once more. Glancing from the phone to her mother several times, Dannika finally choose the phone and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Dannie… Did Tiffany call you?"_ a boy on the other end asked.

"Yeah, why? She call you too?" Dannika asked jokingly.

"_Yeah, apparently your dad is fighting -"_ The boy was cut off mid-sentence as Sam took the phone.

"Dannika can't talk right now, please call back later!" she said before snapping the phone shut.

"Hey!" Dannika objected, grabbing at the phone. However, Sam slipped it into her pocket before her daughter could grab it.

"Now, honey, tell me what's going on," Sam said, soothingly.

Dannika frantically looked around for an explanation. "I, uh, was just wanting to know more about… Your childhood! Yes!" She grabbed her mother's diary from the box and flipped to a random page. "Like how you… Er," she paused briefly to read something from it. "How you had a secret crush on Dad! That was a really good entry!"

Sam shook her head. "Honey, please," grabbing the diary from her daughter, she threw it in the box. "There are several entries like that, and you already know everything you need to know!" The woman turned to go, but before she did, she looked over her shoulder at Dannika.

The girl let herself fall back on her bed once more. Sighing, Sam walked over and sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. "Dannika, I know you don't understand what your father does -"

"I _do_ understand!" the girl interrupted.

" - but that's no reason to be looking for answers in the past," Mrs. Fenton continued. "If you want to know about us, Dannika, just ask. All your questions can be answered _here_, in the present."

"No they can't" Dannika muttered under her breathe.

"What was that?" Sam asked, having not caught what her daughter had said.

"Uh, nothing!" Dannika replied quickly. Sitting up, she said, "Look, Mom, I just need some time to… think… Yeah, think. Do you mind…" the girl nodded toward the door.

Hefting the box onto her hip, Sam walked to the door. "Remember, you can talk to me about _anything_, I'll understand." she said.

"Right, um, can I get my phone back?" Dannika asked, before her mother completely left.

Smiling, Sam tossed Dannika the phone. She caught the phone and quickly dialed a number as her mother left.

"_Hello?"_ came the boy's response.

"Nick! 911! ASAP! Alley! Bring Tiffany!" Dannika said before promptly hanging up. The girl transformed into her ghost half, still wearing the "improved" jump suit, and flew off to the alley next to the house. It was pretty dark, but Dannika was used to that. The alley had been a popular spot for her and her friends to meet before. A small breeze fluttered through the empty streets, the moon being the only light given. She waited a good five hours before her friends finally showed up.

"I _told_ you she'd be here!" a dark-skinned girl was saying, as the two entered the alley. The girl wore a red beret, yellow tank top, camouflage Capri's, and brown combat boots. Her hair was short, barely poking out from within the beret.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Tiff," he muttered before turning to Dannika. He wore baggy, blue jeans, white tennis shoes, an old Casper High letter jacket, and a blue baseball cap that he wore backwards, his red bangs poking out of the gap between the size-adjuster and the material.

Tiffany smiled victoriously and turned to her friend. "Woah!" she exclaimed. "What are you wearing?"

Dannika looked down at her clothes, realizing she hadn't taken the jumpsuit off. "Oh, right," she said with a nervous laugh. "I found a box of my parents' old stuff, and I… Oh, never mind! Look, I need your guys's help." She looked at her friends seriously, a common thing to do among the trio, but it still worried her friends.

"Whatever you need, we're here for you," Neck replied, sympathetically.

Dannika nodded, turning to Tiffany. The girl shrugged. "You know I'll have your back no matter what, girl."

Dannika took a deep breathe. "This is going to sound crazy," she warned, "but I was thinking… Would it really be all that bad to tell my parents?"

Tiffany and Nick shared a glance of uncertainty. "Why the sudden change of heart?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," Tiffany added, "before you were always saying how this was your problem; how it'd be better if your folks never find out."

Dannika nodded, shrugging. "But that was when I thought I could figure out how to get rid of the powers on my own."

"Why do you want to get rid of your powers? You'd just end up like everyone else," Neck muttered. "And if you tell your folks, they'll want you to fight alongside Danny, not try to take the powers away."

"They'd want to do whatever makes me happy!" Dannika objected. However, after a moment's thought, she wasn't so sure. "Wouldn't they?" The three remained silent, not knowing what to say, and not wanting to know the truth.

Suddenly, a loud beeping sounded from above, like a siren. All three looked up to see Valerie, dressed in her red ghost-hunting suit, and floating in the air on hr jet sled. Two little satellite disks, one on each side of her, rotated, emitting the sound. Nick quickly stepped in front of Dannika, pulling Tiffany beside him as Dannika transformed into her human-self once more, pulling off the jump suit so she was dressed in her normal T-shirt and jean skirt.

"What is wrong with this thing!?" Valerie's frustrated voice drifted to the teenagers as she frantically typed on the key-pad at her wrist.

"I better go before she sees I'm out," Tiffany whispered. Keeping her gaze fixed on her mother, she snuck down the road toward her house.

Nick sighed. "I should probably head back home too. I still have some homework to get done…"

Dannika nodded, sadly. "See ya at school tomorrow," she whispered with a small wave as her friend headed back down the road.

"Yeah, see you," Nick replied without a glance over his shoulder.

Dannika sighed, her spirits sinking even lower. After a moment, she ran back into her house, the jump suit folded over her arm. She had planned to sneak up to her room, hopefully undetected. However, the moment she got through the door, she ran into a strange woman with long, jet black hair, pulled into a pony tail. She wore a blue jacket with a white shirt beneath, and red pants. When she turned around, Dannika saw she had the same ice-blue eyes as Danny.

"Mo-om!" the teenager called. "Someone's here!" She watched the woman suspiciously as Sam came rushing in from the kitchen.

"Danielle!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_So, how'd you like it? I decided to try a different style of writing, hope it's a bit better than my first fanfic. So, there're a few twists already popping up, and, trust me, there are more to come! Well, hope you like it! Comments and reviews are loved!_


	2. School Escape

_**Chapter Two**_

_**School Escape**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_So, I hope you all like this so far, here's the second chapter for you! Oh, and sorry it took so long to get up! I got kinda busy with school and stuff… lots of tests… But I got done now!_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

"Danielle," Sam said from the kitchen door, "what are you doing here?"

"Danny needs my help," the woman replied.

"Mom, who is this?" Dannika asked, stepping around Danielle. However, no one seemed to have heard her.

"Danny is doing just fine on his own," Sam snapped.

"Mom…" Dannika tried again.

"Have you seen the news lately?" Danielle inquired.

"Who's this?" Jake asked, appearing at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, mom," Dannika put in, angered that she was being ignored. "You seem to know her pretty well."

Sam glanced between her two children. "This is Danielle," she said, gesturing to the woman. "She's Danny's - er… _your_ - cousin."

Jake and Dannika shared a glance of uncertainty and curiosity. "Why did you never tell us about her?" Dannika asked, suspiciously. "Why haven't we ever met her before?"

"I never thought she'd come back." Sam was practically yelling by now, her voice echoing, bouncing off the walls. "I didn't want to tell you about someone you would never meet."

Dannika's gaze softened as she realized her mother had only been looking out for her and her brother. When her eyes drifted back to Danielle, she glared hard. The woman had stood back and watched the ordeal. She seemed to have just now noticed the teenagers.

"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" she asked in an undertone.

"This is about Danny, isn't it?" Sam asked. Danielle nodded. "Whatever you have to say about him can be said in front of my children."

Danielle hesitated before pulling a CD form her jacket pocket. She walked past Dannika to the TV where she put the disk in the player and turned on the screen.

Sam headed for the couch, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder as she passed. Dannika followed her mother and sat in front of her on the sofa. She felt Sam place her hands on her shoulders and start to rub them soothingly, but she paid little attention to that. She was too curious to see what Danielle was about to show them.

As soon as everyone was seated, the woman pressed play and two reporters appeared on the screen. It took a moment before their voices could be heard.

" - been a lot of controversy about Amity Park's 'hero,' Danny Phantom," the blonde woman was saying.

"That's right, Sherry. It seems to me, Danny has forgotten entirely about his home town," the second reporter, a tall, dark-haired man, added.

"Citizens aren't too happy - " They never knew what more the reporters said, for, at that moment, Sam turned off the television.

"That's enough of that," she hissed. Turning to Danielle, she asked, "What is the meaning of this? Why did you show us these lies?"

"They're not lies," Danielle replied defensively, removing the disk from the player. "This is what everyone in the city is thinking. They no longer have faith in Danny." she stood and looked at the family.

"You're lying!" Dannika yelled, leaping off the couch.

"Dannika!" Sam snapped in shock, trying to calm her daughter.

"No!' Dannika yelled. "Everyone loves Dad! I know so! No one ever stops talking about him at school!"

"That's school," Danielle replied smoothly, her calm, blue eyes burning into Dannika's.

The teenager clenched her fists. "I don't believe you," she growled. "You're lying, and I'll prove it." With that, she snatched the jumpsuit from the floor where she had dropped it upon running into Danielle, and stomped down to the lab.

Once in the lab, she threw the jumpsuit onto the table and pulled out her red box again. Taking out a green note book, she flipped to a random page and scrawled down a name, drawing sculls and cross-bones around it.

_Danielle_

Replacing the notebook in the box, Dannika headed for the computer. Opening the internet she went to Google and typed in "Recent News Reports." A list of sites popped up on the "Search Results" page. She clicked on one and watched the video. It was half an hour long, but said almost the same thing as the video Danielle had showed them. The public wasn't liking Danny. Scowling, she went to another one. This time, it was an article. Once again, criticism toward Danny helping out the other countries more than his home town. Site after site, article after article, video after video, they all said the same thing. Screaming, she shot an ectoplasmic blast at the computer, destroying the monitor. She, then, turned to hit something else, but an unexpected visitor was standing behind her.

"Da-Danielle…" Dannika stammered, staring at the woman. Had she really just done that in front of her?

"You- you have-" Danielle was unable to say it, unable to believe it. "How?" Dannika stared at Danielle blankly. What was she supposed to say? The woman closed her eyes, seeming to regain composure of herself, before a white ring appeared around her waist, traveling up and down the length of her body, transforming her. Her black hair became snow white, her blue eyes green, and she was now dressed in a black and white suit, strangely similar to Danny's jumpsuit. "I am too," she murmured, looking down at Dannika.

Dannika stared at her in shock. However, that shock soon subsided to anger. She gathered a ball of ectoplasmic energy in her fist and shot it at the woman. As Danielle flew backwards, screaming, Dannika transformed into her ghostly half, floating in the air so she hovered above the woman.

"Wha- what was that for?" Danielle stammered, looking up at the girl.

"Who are you?" Dannika demanded. "What are you?" Danielle stared up at her, bewildered. "Answer me!" Dannika screamed, biting back tears of rage, fear and horror.

"You know who I am," Danielle told her, unable to hide her astonishment.

"I know who you claim to be," Dannika objected. "Who are you? Are you ghost or human?" The tears were streaking down her face now.

"I told you, I'm Danielle, and you know perfectly well what I am," the woman replied, pulling herself to her feet.

"Sit down!" Dannika barked, ectoplasmic energy forming at her fists.

Danielle held a hand up, stumbling into a chair. "C-calm down!" she pleaded.

"Calm down!" Dannika screamed. "How can I calm down? How can I believe anything you tell me?"

"How - " Danielle began, but was soon cut off.

"Is everything alright down here?" Sam's worried voice came down the stairway. Both ghost-girls quickly changed into their human forms as Sam came down the stairs. "What's going on?" Sam's eyes were wide as she took in the scene. The computer monitor was destroyed, several shelves were broken, the equipment from those shelves scattered on the floor, Danielle sat in one of the only two chairs to be found, looking as if Vlad stood before her and Dannika stood in the middle of the room, looking as if she wanted to bite something's head off.

"Nothing," the teenager muttered. "I was just going to bed." With that, she slipped past her mother and rushed up the stairs to her bedroom. She didn't trust Danielle, that much she knew, but she was too tired to think, and soon fell fast asleep, still fully dressed.

* * *

When Dannika awoke the next morning, she had all but forgotten about Danielle's intrusion. She was confused as to why she was still dressed, but quickly shrugged it off, changing into clean clothes. She, then, ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of toast from a plate on the table.

"Morning!" she called happily to Jake.

"Morning?" Jake answered, cocking an eyebrow.

"What's the look for?" Dannika asked around a mouthful of toast.

Jake looked away from his sister, his gaze returning to the newspaper, sprawled out on the table in front of him. "Nothing," he said. "Last night you just seemed really… well… pissed."

"Pissed?" Dannika asked with a laugh. "Tha-" She stopped, mid-sentence, as Danielle walked into the room. Memories from the previous night washed over her.

"Good morning," Danielle greeted.

Dannika's gaze hardened. "I need to get ready for school," she muttered, storming up the stairs.

"What's with her?" Danielle asked, as if nothing had happened between them. Jake just shrugged.

* * *

After furiously brushing her teeth and finishing up getting ready, Dannika ran back down the stairs, followed more slowly by her brother, and to the bus stop. They were a good ten minutes early, but anything was better than being in the house with that imposter, Danielle. When the bus got there Dannika shoved her way past Jake a slid into a seat next to Tiffany.

"Girl, what's wrong?" her friend asked, noticing Dannika's tension.

"Yeah, Dannie, you're steaming," Nick added, laughing.

Dannika sighed, trying to calm herself. "My _cousin_ showed up last night," she growled.

"Ben?" Tiffany asked hopefully.

Dannika stared at her a moment, as if she had said something truly offensive. "No!" she squeaked.

"What other cousin do you have?" Nick asked, leaning toward the two girls, blocking most of the aisle.

"Well, she's my dad's cousin," Dannika explained.

"What's so bad about relatives visiting?" Tiffany asked. She was looking out the window, her arms crossed, pouting.

"What's with her?" Nick asked.

Dannika sighed. "She's crushing on Ben, isn't it obvious?" Silence followed as confused understanding crossed Nick's face.

"So, what about this other cousin?" Nick inquired.

"She's a halfa," Dannika replied. This got Tiffany's attention. Nick cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know1" Dannika yelled. Everyone turned to look at her. She smiled awkwardly as people returned to their own conversations. "I don't trust her," Dannika continued in an undertone.

"Did you see her change?" Tiffany whispered.

Dannika nodded. "I shot the computer screen and she saw me. I didn't know what to do; I didn't reply to anything she said, so she changed in front of me!" Nick leaned back, resuming his "thinking" position, which consisted of leaning against the nearest wall, locker, chair, etc.; crossing his arms and tapping his chin while staring off into space. "What?" Dannika demanded.

"Well," the boy said, "she took the chance of changing in front of you! She obviously trusts _you_."

"So? I don't trust her," Dannika said stubbornly. She sat back in the seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm just saying," Nick sighed, "Maybe you should give her a chance." He paused. "At least act like you trust her. Maybe then you can figure out reasons why you _shouldn't_ trust her."

Dannika thought about that. It wasn't a bad idea. "Alright," she agreed.

* * *

The bus stopped at the school letting everyone off to endure the day's torture. Dannika, Tiffany and Nick stood in the courtyard, looking around them at the hell-house that was called school.

"And I thought school would be a way to escape my problems," Dannika muttered.

"Ow!" Nick yelped as a football bounced off his head into his hands. "Watch it, Beller!" he yelled, throwing the football back to the football player.

"Sorry, Baxter!" 'Beller called back, catching the ball. "Didn't see you there!"

Nick clenched his fists as Tiffany sighed. "It's strange, the food chain," she murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked, confused.

"The popularity food chain," Tiffany replied, matter-of-factly.

"She's been all over this whole 'food chain' nonsense sine the winter formal," Dannika sighed.

"Hey, it's not like I'm the only one who was disappointed that _someone_ didn't ask me to the dance!" Tiffany objected, earning herself an elbow to the gut from Dannika. Nick cocked an eyebrow. "Geesh!" Tiffany gasped. "I was just kidding!"

"Who was it that you wanted to go with?" Nick asked, changing the subject.

Tiffany glanced at him with an "I don't know what you're talking about" expression. "No one," she replied. "A-nyway. Like I was saying, the food chain is a strange thing. I mean, look at us! We should all be some of the most popular kids in the school!"

Nick looked questioningly at Dannika, who shook her head and muttered, "Three, two, one."

"I mean, do you two not see it?" Tiffany steeped in front of Dannika, facing her friend. "You're the daughter of Danny Phantom!" She then turned to Nick, "You're a freshman and quarterback for the varsity team!" She, then, straightened, and looked rather proud. "And I'm the daughter of the Mayor. Those should be reasons enough to give us instant popularity!"

Nick and Dannika stared at her a moment, then looked at their watches and said simultaneously, "Whoa! Look at the time! Gotta get to class!" And ran into the school building. Tiffany stared after them. "Why don't you two just hurry up and start dating already?" she yelled after them, knowing she would pay for it later.

* * *

The three friends met back up in their first period class: English. The trio sat at the back, the closest place to "safe" you could find in a classroom. Mr. Lancer, an old, over-weight, bald, man, drawled on at the front of the class, his age hardly depriving him of being able to spot trouble makers a mile away. However, Tiffany, Nick and Dannika were used to his tactics and knew how to get around them. For the most part.

"Why do you two run off every time I mention how popular we should be?" Tiffany hissed.

"Well, people don't much care about our 'social standards' now do they?" Dannika replied, stiffling a giggle.

Nick sighed. "Popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Right," Tiffany said, "you would know, wouldn't you, Nick? Dropped out of that crowd, didn't you?"

Nick gave a small chuckle. "It wasn't that great. I'm still trying to shake some of it off," he added, glancing at a rather pretty girl who had been staring dreamily at him. The girl quickly averted her gaze, and stared at the front of the room again, where Mr. Lancer was reading a passage out of _Romeo and Juliet_.

"At least you got a taste of it," Tiffany grumbled, slouching in her chair.

"Tiff, come off it! We're better off as losers. That way we don't have a load of preps bugging us all the time about what we're talking about!" Dannika whispered.

"Well, of course that's what you would say! The only thing you ever seem to think about are those pow-" At that moment, Dannika threw her hands over Tiffany's mouth.

"Hush up! We don't talk about the you-know-what in class!" Dannika hissed. Tiffany crossed her arms over her chest and bit Dannika's hand. Dannika immediately retreated.

By this time, most of the class was now staring at the trio, and Mr. Lancer had stopped reading. "Would you girl's care to explain?" he asked.

Dannika looked from the teacher to Tiffany and back again. "I was just…" - she spotted the book in Mr. Lancer's hands - "keeping Tiff quiet while you read!"

Mr. Lancer grunted. "Next time you both should remember to keep your mouths shut, else you get detention."

As Mr. Lancer returned to reading, Nick muttered, "Nice." Dannika rolled her eyes, and Tiffany continued to pout.

* * *

Class by class until lunch, the three narrowly missed detention. This was nothing new. Though they had never really gotten detention, they were almost always threatened with it.

Entering the cafeteria, Nick, who brought his own lunch from home, headed straight to a table to save them seats, while Dannika and Tiffany got in line to get their lunches from the lunch ladies.

"I'm just saying, sometimes there are other matters worth discussing," Tiffany said, shrugging, as the two girls grabbed trays. She winced as the lunch lady plopped a glob of grey goo in the middle of her tray.

"I know, Tiff," Dannika sighed, grabbing an apple and examining it. "It's just…. kinda… well… It's a crisis for me right now!" She put the apple back and settled with a cup of mixed fruit.

"Oh, right, especially since Daisy showed up, right?" Tiffany said sarcastically, grabbing a chocolate milk.

"It's Danielle," Dannika sighed. "And yes. I mean… It's bad enough that she's here, but she also has ghost powers and knows that I have them too!"

"She hasn't told your mom, has she?" Tiffany asked as they headed for the table Nick was sitting at.

"No," Dannika replied, sliding into a seat across from Nick. Tiffany took the one next to her.

"Danni, are you still on about that Delilah problem?" Nick asked, forking some of his salad.

"It's Danielle," Dannika moaned, "and I see you're still defying everything popular."

Nick laughed. "Hey, you can blame your mom for the vegetarian idea. Anyways, as soon as everyone accepts that I'm on the football team and NOT popular, I'll go back to eating meat."

Dannika sighed, spooning some of the gray goo from her tray. As the breathe left her mouth, a small fog went with it, almost as if she was standing in the cold. The girl stared at it for a moment as it evaporated, then groaned, dropping her spoon. "Tell me I was imagining that!"

Tiffany stared at her friend, her eyes wide. "Uh-uh…" she murmured, shaking her head.

"Think it means what I think it means?" Dannika whispered.

"Uh-huh," Tiffany replied, nodding.

"Well, what else could it mean?" Nick asked, setting his fork down.

Dannika moaned, holding her head in her hands. "I don't know! That hasn't happened for a long time! And Dad's supposed to be taking care of them, so that that doesn't happen!" At this, Nick laughed, causing Dannika to look up. "What?"

The boy shook his head. "I was just thinking, what would Danny say knowing his daughter is too afraid to face a ghost?"

"I'm not afraid!" Dannika objected. "I'm just not ready to walk in his footsteps. No, I refuse to walk in his footsteps!" As the words left her mouth another puff of fog accompanied it. Dannika moaned, dropping her head back in her hands.

"Well," Tiffany whispered, giving a small, forced laugh, "maybe you should reconsider."

"What are you-" Dannika started, lifting her head out of her hands, however, her question was cut short by a wave of screams.

"Ghosts!"

Everyone was leaping from their seats and running out through the double doors of the cafeteria. "Come on!" Dannika urged her friends, jumping from her own seat. However, the two were staring at her, as if expecting something phenomenal. "What?" she demanded.

"This is your chance!" Nick said, his reply only just audible over the screaming. "Are you just going to let it go?"

"Yes!" Dannika shrieked. "Just like I let all the other 'chances' go!" She grabbed at Tiffany's arm and gave a jerk. "Come on!"

Tiffany got to her feet, happy to leave the situation with the rest of the panicking school. However, Nick grabbed her other arm, restraining her. "No one would have to know," he argued. "You'd just do your stuff, kick the ghost's butt, and let the authorities handle the rest!"

Dannika glared at him. "I said 'no,'" she replied forcefully. "Now let's get out of here!"

Nick glared back at her, but let go of Tiffany. "Fine!" he snarled. "Throw away your life! Be an average, ordinary teenager, if that's what you want!"

"It is," Dannika said flatly. "Come on," she added to Tiffany, giving her friend another, more gentle, tug. The two girls made their way out of the cafeteria with the rest of the class, but before completely leaving the room, Dannika cast a last look over her shoulder at Nick. The boy was watching her go, his face hard with disapproval. Their eyes met for a split second before he moved to join the rest of the school.

* * *

Out in the courtyard of the school, as firefighters and police rushed to the scene, Nick was still ignoring Dannika. The girl sat on a bench at a table with Tiffany., who was a bit jumpy after the sudden ghost appearance, and very talkative.

"I mean, I know we've had the drills, but there hasn't been an actual attack since… I can't even remember there _being_ an actual attack!" the girl ranted.

Dannika was only half listening, giving little responses such as, "Yeah," "Uh-huh," and "Right." She was pre-occupied with her earlier discussion with Nick. What if she _had_ stayed and fought? It hadn't taken long for authorities to get there… and reporters were already trying to get past the staff. Could she have been fast enough to battle the ghost back into the Ghost Zone before they all showed up? She knew it wasn't possible. She had never fought a ghost before, and really didn't want to. But the way Nick had been looking at her as she had walked away from a perfect set up, just the thing to see what her powers really could do… It made her start to wonder. Could it be possible? _Absolutely not!_ said a voice in her head, and she knew it was right, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she really was throwing her life away like Nick had said. She did want to be an ordinary teenager though…

"Danni? Oh, Dannika?" Tiffany said, rather annoyed, waving her hand in front of Dannika's face.

"Wha?" Dannika mumbled, blinking as she was pulled out of her reverie.

"I was just saying how weird it is that all those drills didn't really do much to help keep the panic level down." Tiffany replied.

"Oh, uh… yeah, sure," Dannika muttered, not knowing what to say. In truth, she didn't much care about the mayhem that had just occurred, or that people had panicked when they had had an escape route planned for just that occasion. What worried her more was that the occasion had aroused.

"Are you sure you're listening, because I don't think you're actually listening…" Tiffany asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm listening!" Dannika yelled, turning and looking her friend in the eyes.

"Panicked people that weird is it that think not do I." said a voice a few feet from the girls, causing them to jump.

Dannika looked over her shoulder to find a lanky boy with shaggy blonde hair and hazel eyes, staring at them with a curious expression placed on his face. "Oh, hey, Wuflie," Dannika muttered, giving a half-heart wave. George Wulfe, more commonly known as Wulfie, was a strange boy who seemed to be able to talk even when inhaling, and always talked backwards.

"What was it you said?" Tiffany asked, before Wulfie could return the greeting.

"Panicked people that weird is it that think not do I," he repeated fluently. Tiffany cocked an eyebrow. Wuflie sighed. "Panicked people," he said slowly.

"Panicked people," Tiffany repeated, nodding, as Dannika wrote the words on the back of her hand.

"… that weird is," Wulfie continued, just as slowly, watching Dannika write down his words with great interest, "it that think not do I."

Tiffany looked at Dannika for translation. "I do not think that it is weird that people panicked," she read.

Tiffany looked outraged. "You don't think- You don't think- HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?"

"Thing real the to down comes it when help to tend not do generally drills. Before attack ghost a had never have we, simple," Wulfie replied, speaking rapidly as if afraid to be overheard.

Tiffany looked at Dannika, who looked at Wulfie, and asked, "Why do you talk like that again?"

"Backwards speaking years twenty-eight for go to goal personal a is it and, record world a for trying am I," Wulfie replied.

Dannika quickly wrote this down on her hand and read it to Tiffany, "I am trying for a world record, and it is a personal goal to go for twenty-eight years speaking backwards."

"You messed up," Tiffany said, defiantly.

"Huh?"

"You messed up. 'Twenty-eight!' You said twenty-eight, you should have said eight-twenty." Tiffany explained.

"You thank. Point good." Wulfie said, smiling, before walking off.

"You're welcome!" Tiffany called after him. As she watched him go, she spotted Nick who was watching them in turn. He seemed to be glaring, but it was hard to tell. "Geesh," Tiffany muttered, "What's with guys?"

Dannika, who was also watching Nick, sighed. She knew that he was glaring, but not at Tiffany. He was still mad at her. "I have no idea," she sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_Well, this chapter is mainly showing Dannika's school life… My apologies for the blandness of this chapter! But I do like Wulfie! It will get better though! Hope you liked it! Comments and reviews are loved!_


	3. Unwanted Help

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Unwanted Help**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_Again, hope you like the story so far! Here's the third chapter!_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

Nick avoided Dannika the rest of the day, going so far as to sit on opposite sides of the class room, and take a seat in the front of the bus with all the little kids crowding around him. He didn't even look back as he got off the bus at his stop. Feeling rather rejected and deeply depressed, Dannika barely gave Tiffany a farewell as her friend got off at her stop.

Watching Tiffany go, Dannika leaned her head against the window, feeling as if her world had just been turned upside down. As the bus began to move again, someone took the space on the seat that Tiffany had left. However, Dannika was too absorbed in her own life problems to take any notice. That is, until the person spoke.

"Hard day, Little Sis?" a familiar voice drifted to her ears. Dannika turned to find Jake sitting next to her.

"You could say that," Dannika muttered, leaning her head on her brother's shoulder.

"Were you scared?" her red-haired, green-eyed brother asked, stroking Dannika's hair.

"Of what?" Dannika asked.

"The attack," Jake said.

"Why would I be scared of that?" Dannika asked, and when Jake didn't reply, she lifted her head a little to look at him.

"It means Danielle was right about Dad. That he isn't here for Amity Park." Jake explained.

Dannika snorted, laying her head back on his shoulder. "It was one attack," she muttered, although she wasn't feeling as confident as she sounded. There had been all those reporters there… Everyone who had been just waiting for Danny to mess up, and he did! What did this mean for her father?

As these thoughts coursed through Dannika's mind, the bus came to a stop, and Jake pulled her up and off the bus with him. The girl was barely aware of Danielle's presence as she entered the house, and only acknowledged her when she sat down at the couch.

"I see you're still here," Dannika said, bitterly, throwing her backpack off onto the floor and rubbing her sore shoulder.

Danielle shrugged. She looked strangely like Danny, standing in the kitchen door-way, watching Dannika. It reminded the girl of happier times, when she was younger, running circles in the living room, full of energy and completely ignorant to the world around her. Lost in her memories, Dannika let slip a smile onto her face. "Happy now, are we?" Danielle asked curtly, entering the room and sitting next to Dannika.

"No!" Dannika objected, all traces of the oh so recent smile vanishing. "I was just-"

"It's alright!" Danielle laughed. "Smiles are good. It means there was something to brighten your day."

Dannika watched Danielle wearily, not entirely sure what to say. "And that's supposed to mean…?"

Danielle sighed. "Well, there was that attack…"

"How did you know about the attack?" Dannika blurted, jumping to her feet.

"I'll be in my room!" Jake, who had been heading for the couch seconds before, said, quickly changing course to avoid the disaster that was sure to come.

"Well?" Dannika demanded, ignoring her brother, and placing herself in front of Danielle, hands on hips.

"I… got wind of it," Danielle offered, innocently.

Dannika still wasn't too certain of this, but accepted the answer and sunk back onto the couch. "Not really that thrilling," she said stubbornly.

Danielle laughed. "Well, I wouldn't think so. Kids really overreacted there."

"What do you mean?" Dannika asked, genuinely curious.

"Well," Danielle explained, "it was only the Box Ghost."

"The… Box Ghost?" Dannika asked, uncertainly. Her suspicions towards Danielle were growing with every passed word.

"Yeah. Odd ghost really, he haunts boxes. I s'pose he saw this as an opportunity to scare people… He doesn't get much fear, but he always wants- Why are you looking at me like that?" Danielle asked, seeing Dannika staring at her rather strangely.

"How do you know all this?" Dannika asked, attempting to feign awe.

Danielle shrugged. "News got around," she muttered.

Dannika grunted disbelievingly. "Yeah, so, everyone in the school except me knew that that ghost was the Box Ghost. Oh, and they all saw it too, did they?"

"They don't all need to know, silly," Danielle laughed, getting to her feet. "It only takes one person with a description of the ghost." With that, she left, retiring to the basement where Sam had set up a bed for her.

"She knows someone who saw the ghost, does she?" Dannika muttered to herself suspiciously. "We'll see about that." She leaned across the couch and picked up the phone from an end table. She was about to dial Nick's number until she remembered he wasn't currently talking to her and dialed Tiffany's instead. After three rings, she picked up.

"_Hello?" _came the familiar voice through the speaker.

"Hey, Tiff, it's Dannie," Dannika replied.

"_Hey, Dannie! What's up? More Destinee trouble?"_ Tiffany joked.

"It's Danielle, and, well… sorta… She said -"

Just then, however, Jake appeared on the stairs. "Is it safe to come down?" he asked, tentatively.

"I gotta go," Dannika sighed into the phone before hanging up. "What do you mean?" she asked her brother.

"Well… you know! You were all mad and everything, but there was no yelling and nothing broke…" he trailed off looking around the room as if searching for something he missed.

Dannika nearly burst out laughing. "Don't worry!" she said, holding in her laughter. "Danielle went down to the basement. I don't think she'll be back up for a while."

"Right…" Jake muttered, rather uncertainly. "I'll just be in the kitchen, then… working on homework…" And he was gone before Dannika had time to protest.

Sighing, the girl looked around the room. It was a rather dismal place when you were alone. And though Dannika did enjoy hr privacy, alone was one thing she did not want at the moment. Getting to her feet rather slowly, she walked leisurely into the kitchen, past the table, and two the counter where she grabbed an orange. She tossed this orange into the air, caught it, and then grabbed another. She held the two oranges in one hand, and grabbed the trash can with the other. Dragging the trash can with her, she settled into a chair beside her brother at the table, placing the can between them. Wordlessly, she offered Jake an orange. A small smirk appearing on his face, Jake put down his pencil and accepted the fruit. "So," he said casually, pealing the orange, "what's on your mind?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dannika replied smoothly, although she had to duck her head as if concentrating on pealing her orange to hide a smile. Her brother knew her only too well.

"C'mon, Dannie!" Jake said, throwing a chink of orange peal into the garbage. "The only time you ever bring over oranges for us to share is when you have something you want to talk about." He paused, and glanced up at Dannika. However, when she remained silent, he persisted, "So, what is it?"

Dannika didn't answer right away. "What is it?" It was such a simple question, but there was so much! Half of which she couldn't even discuss with him. She desperately wanted to tell Jake everything: That she had ghost powers, that Danielle had them too, that she was trying to get rid of them… But what would his reaction be? Fourteen years she had kept her powers secret. Fourteen years she had lied to her family. Fourteen years… How could she suddenly reveal everything to him now? "It's just…" Dannika muttered, pealing her orange a bit slower. "Well… Our family kinda has a legacy for landing themselves and occupation fighting ghosts, right?"

Jake laughed at this. He actually laughed! "What?" Dannika demanded.

"Actually," Jake said, wiping a tear from his eye, "I'm glad you brought that up. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I know that it seemed really cool when we were younger to have a job involving ghosts, but, now that we're older, it's a highly dangerous job, and one that's not really worth the time." Jake shrugged and continued pealing his orange.

"So…" Dannika said, rather uncertainly, "what are you planning to do, then?" This wasn't the topic she had had in mind to discuss, but it was as good as any. In fact, it was just what she needed, something to get her mind off of her powers and what was happening.

"Well, I plan on taking up Jazzmen's failed attempt to be a Fenton who has nothing to do with ghosts," Jake announced.

Dannika snorted, having not expected this response. Getting control of her laughter, she giggled, "But, you aren't _technically _a Fenton!" Jake cocked an eyebrow, and Dannika immediately ceased laughing. "Well… I mean… Well… You were adopted… and…"

Jake shook his head, smiling again. "No, I get it. I don't really have the Fenton blood running through me. Your point being?"

Dannika shrugged and resumed pealing her orange. "I don't know… just… it won't really be a Fenton getting out of the ghost jobs, will it?"

Jake shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it," he said, pealing away a slice of the orange and popping it in his mouth. "I mean, you could see it as I don't have any Fenton blood so it doesn't really matter weather I succeed in this or not. Or," he said, sliding another slice of orange into his mouth, "You could see it as I was raised by the Fentons so it really doesn't matter if I have their blood or not, I'm still a Fenton through and through."

Dannika stared at him, wonderingly. A smile flickered to her face. Throwing the last bit of peal into the garbage, Dannika got to her feet, walked over to her brother, and kissed him on the head. Jake's eyes widened with surprise as the girl murmured, "Thanks, Jake," and left the room.

"You're welcome," Jake breathed.

* * *

It was the most wonderful feeling Dannika had ever had. It was as if weights had just been lifted off her shoulders. As if she could sore high into the sky - metaphorically speaking of course, since she actually could do that. She felt so sure that nothing could ruin this glorious feeling, as she headed to her room, that she barely registered Danielle's sudden reappearance until the woman spoke. "Dannika, I'd like to speak with you in my room."

"You mean the basement?" Dannika asked, rather cheerfully.

Danielle scowled. "Yes, the basement."

Dannika shrugged and followed the woman down into the Fenton's basement. As they walked down the stairs, Dannika remembered her little box of things that was still down on a shelf in there. Panic that Danielle might have seen it gripped the girl for a heartbeat before she saw the little red box exactly where she had left it. A sigh of relief.

"Sit down," Danielle muttered, nodding to a little bed in a corner, the only difference to the basement. Dannika obeyed, but Danielle remained silent.

The teenager watched the woman pace for a few minutes before asking, "Well? What did you want to talk about?"

Danielle hesitated a moment before turning to face Dannika. "You've already seen what the media is saying about your father," she started.

"Yes," Dannika replied, taking the pause that followed Danielle's words to meant hat she was supposed to say something.

"Dannika, I want to ask something of you, something that I know you are bound to refuse, but-"

"Dannika! Danielle? Are you two down there?" came a familiar voice from the stairwell. "It's time for dinner!"

"We're coming, Mom!" Dannika yelled in reply. However, she did not move. She just stared at Danielle, waiting.

Danielle nodded, made a motion with her hand, and murmured, "We'd better get up there…"

Confused, Dannika nodded and led the way back up to the kitchen. Lost in her own thoughts, the girl was unable to register what was being said at the table. There were moments when all of the noise and hubbub seemed to be nonexistent. She couldn't focus on anything other than what Danielle had told her that day. _It was only the Box Ghost._ Weren't all ghosts bad? _He haunts boxes. I s'pose he saw this as an opportunity to scare people… _Was that all that ghosts wanted? Was to scare people? _It only takes one person with a description of the ghost._ Who had seen it? _I want to ask something of you, something that I know you are bound to refuse… _What did she want Dannika to do? These questions circulated the young girl's mind as she crawled into bed that night.

* * *

The next morning came all too fast. Dannika awoke with a start as her alarm clock went off, pulling her out of a horrible nightmare where a bed-sheet ghost kept trying to cage her in boxes and had locked her father in jail. It took her a moment to realize that it was her alarm clock going off and not the fire alarm. It took her a bit more time to figure out which switch was the clock's, for she kept turning her lamp on and off. Finally she was able to make the buzzing stop and she slumped out of bed. Nothing seemed right, and Dannika couldn't figure out why. However, as she slipped out of her pajamas and into her school clothes, she remembered what Danielle had told her the other night. Anger surged through the girl. The emotion was so unexpected that the intensity of what she felt even surprised Dannika. Pushing the thoughts of hatred out of her mind, the girl grabbed a change of clothes and went to take a shower. Showers always seemed to help ease her mind.

As she let the warm water wash over her skin, she wondered why she hadn't thought of taking a shower sooner. Her thoughts had been so scattered in recent hours, that the only thing that really made sense was the fact that Nick had up and abandoned her just when she needed him most. But, even with the thought of him not being there to talk to at school or to confide in, she couldn't bring herself to feel any anger or resentment toward the boy. She just missed him.

Turning the water of, and toweling dry, Dannika's mind was suddenly blank. No thought disturbed her as she changed into her clothes for the day, or even as she ate breakfast with Danielle and Jake. Nothing, not a single thought crossed her mind until she got onto the bus and sat down next to Tiffany. As gone as she was, it was a shock that she was able to register the fact that her friend was as depressed as Dannika ever remembered seeing her.

"Hey," Dannika muttered, leaning forward to get a better look at her friend, "what's wrong?"

Tiffany was slouched forward in her seat, not even a trace of a smile on her face. At Dannika's words, she turned slightly to wipe away the trails of tears left on her cheeks. However, this was still noticed by the now alert Dannika. "I - It's nothing," she muttered, her voice cracking with the simple words.

Recognizing the signs of an "I'm fine, but I'm not fine" situation, Dannika shifted her position on the seat so that she was facing her friend (or as close to as was possible on the bus seats). "Come on, Tiff," she said, gently, placing a hand on her friend's shoulders. "You can trust me, you know you that."

Tiffany released a shuddering sigh and wiped a bit more at her eyes before turning to face Dannika. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and they had a look about them that said whatever was going on, it was tragic. Even with her attempts to wipe them away, the tracks left by the tears were still clearly visible upon her cheeks. Her lip trembled as she said, "Dad's gone."

The shock was over whelming. It was a few moments before Dannika could find her voice to ask, "Wha-what do you mean, gone?"

Tiffany shook her head as more tears spilled over. Frantically brushing them away, she muttered, "Mom… She… She kicked him out! They were fighting again last night, and… and…" However, whatever had happened, the words were lost as in the girl's throat, for all she could do was sob after that point. Her shoulders shook as she lost control of her emotions.

"Whoa! Tiff! Tiffany, it's alright!" Dannika tried to comfort her friend. "They've gotten into these fights before, he'll come back! You just wait and see."

Tiffany, who had managed to silence her wails, shook her head, biting her bottom lip. But she did not speak. She was too afraid of bursting out into tears again, so soon after she had managed to keep them down to a silent mourning.

Her own troubles forgotten, Dannika straightened in her seat and put her arm around her friend. Nothing mattered except for comforting Tiffany. Everything else could wait. "Shh," Dannika murmured as Tiffany cried into her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

At the next stop, Nick made his way over to the two from the front where he had been sitting. He took up the vacant seat across from the two girls. "What's going on here?" he asked, sincerely worried. Tiffany shook her head and Dannika shrugged, giving him a "It's a girl thing" look. Nick's eyes widened, then he dipped his head, hiding a smirk. "You guys will tell me later, right?"

Dannika opened her mouth to reply, but Tiffany beat her to it. "I'll tell you both the entire story later," she promised.

* * *

The day seemed to tick by ever so slowly. Dannika desperately wanted to know the entire story of what happened to Tucker Foley. She was alert every possible moment that Tiffany might tell them what had happened, however, her friend remained silent. It wasn't until their lunch break that the girl finally spoke.

The three were sitting at their usual table, all hostility and anger between Nick and Dannika forgotten with the new tragedy. It was well into the lunch period; Tiffany hadn't eaten anything from her tray. She sat, picking absently at the pizza. Dannika watched her worriedly, having already eaten all of her lunch, while Nick sat patiently, finishing up with his salad. Dannika was just about to tell Tiffany, once again, that she had to eat something, when her friend spoke. "I don't like talking about it, not even thinking about it, but that's pretty inevitable, isn't it?" she murmured.

"Talking helps," Dannika said softly. However, Nick placed a hand on her arm and shook his head, giving her a "Not now" sort of look. Dannika sighed, feeling utterly defeated. She needed to comfort her friend, but what comfort could she provide when she knew nothing of what was going on?

"My parents have been arguing for a while now, you both know that," Tiffany continued, as if there had been no interruption. She didn't look up from her tray, just talked into her food. "But it got really bad last night." It was clear that she was fighting tears, willing herself to be strong. "Mom said that she saw me out the other night, remember? Over by Dannika's… She was accusing Dad of being irresponsible. She said that he should have kept an eye on me, made sure I didn't sneak out. She was talking as if I were untrustworthy… Well, Dad argued about that. He said that I could be trusted to stay home alone, and that he had a job to uphold. He said that she was the one who wasn't doing anything. She hasn't got a paying job, and she just runs off to fight ghosts while he works all day, stuck up in an office…

"I don't remember everything they said, but they started yelling. This was after you called me. Probably only a few minutes after you hung up." She didn't even look up to indicate she was addressing Dannika, just continued to stare into the still full tray. "Their voices escalated, and then, Mom said that she couldn't do it anymore. That they never should have got together. She said they didn't really love each other. Dad tried to argue, tried to tell her that she was only upset, but she wouldn't let him. She told him to get out of the house, gave him a change of clothes, and watched him go. I watched from my bedroom window," she finished.

Dannika's jaw had dropped. She couldn't believe it. Valerie had kicked Tucker out of the house! It just didn't make sense, but Tiffany wouldn't joke about this sort of thing. "Oh my gosh," she finally managed to say.

"That's horrible," Nick whispered.

"Well - I-I'm sure they'll get back together, I mean - " Dannika started, however was quickly interrupted.

"Don 't say that," Tiffany muttered. "I know that it's not true, it'll never happen… I don't need false hope."

Dannika dipped her head, a bit ashamed, but she was only trying to help… "What do you want us to do?" Nick asked gently, tilting his head as to try and look into the girl's eyes.

"What do I want you to do?" Tiffany repeated. She pondered this a moment before, finally, she looked up to face her friends. "I want you to be realistic," she said. "I want you to help me forget about it during the school day and help me focus on school work. After that, I just want your support and comfort." She paused, then added, "And I want you guys to tell me if anything about my dad comes up anywhere."

Dannika and Nick glanced at each other. In that solitary glance, Dannika knew they were both thinking the same thing: How on Earth were they supposed to do all that? But Dannika knew she had to try. Tiffany had been there for her time and time again. "Alright," she agreed.

"Yeah, we'll do our best," Nick added.

"Thanks," Tiffany said, trying a little smile.

* * *

The rest of the day was a bit rough, trying to keep Tiffany a little happier. It was almost a relief watching her friend get off the bus, but then it only brought more hurt on Dannika herself. She sighed, and watched out the window as the bus drove on, heading toward her own stop. It wasn't until she walked into the house that a solution came to her. Sitting on the couch in the living room was Tucker Foley.

"M-Mayer Foley?" Dannika stammered, dropping her backpack off in a chair. "What are you doing here?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder as her mother passed. "Tucker will be staying with us for a bit," Sam explained, heading up the stairs.

Dannika nodded, about to say, "Oh," when a thought came to her. "Where will he sleep? We have no guest room, and the basement's taken…"

Sam laughed. "Dannika, he'll be sleeping in the living room, on the couch. We couldn't turn him away," she said before disappearing into the upstairs hall.

"Right…" Dannika muttered, turning back to Tucker. It was then that she noticed Danielle sitting beside the man, and she remembered what she had been going to tell Nick and Tiffany at school that day. "So… I'm just gonna… er… go. Up there. " She motioned with her hand toward the staircase and ran up to her bedroom. Once there, she threw herself into her computer chair, sliding halfway across the room. She pulled herself back up to the desk and logged on. Nick was already on. Turning her webcam on, Dannika called out, "Nick!" for he wasn't on the screen.

"_Whoa, wha-?"_ Came Nick's voice from somewhere beyone the screen. After much clattering, he appeared on the screen. _"What is it, Dannie?"_

"Hang on," Dannika said, bringing up another window and minimizing both's sizes so they fit on the screen side-by-side. "Get up Tiff's window too," she told her friend, before yelling, "Hey, Tiff! Get on the computer! I need to talk to you!" When she glanced back at Nick's screen, the boy was plugging his ears. Dannika laughed, saying, "It's safe to listen now!"

Nick hesitated before slowly lowering his hands. He then started typing and clicking, before saying, _"Alright, got her up."_

Dannika nodded as Tiffany appeared on the screen. _"What is it?"_ she asked, her voice full of the sorrow she had been suppressing during the school hours. Looking closer, Dannika saw that her eyes were red and swollen, giving away that she had been crying.

The sight was almost too much for Dannika to bear, and she very nearly forgot what she had got on to tell them. "Eh, Tiff… Are you alright?" The girl merely nodded. "Is it still… you know… because your dad's gone?" Tiffany merely stared back at Dannika, her eyes filling with tears. "Tiffany! Please don't cry! He's alright, he's here! I know! You can come over and see him after school tomorrow, does that sound good?"

Tiffany wiped her eyes. _"I don't need to be treated like a three-year-old,"_ she muttered, but Dannika knew that she was back on board.

"_So what was it that you wanted to talk about?" _Nick asked, bringing Dannika back on track.

"Right, well, last night, Danielle… Well, she knew that there was a ghost attack, and she knew which ghost it was that attacked! And she, well, she asked me to go down into the basement with her and told me that she needed to ask a favor of me… And she said that I was most likely to say no…" Dannika explained.

Nick's eyes moved slightly to the right at the same time that Tiffany's moved just a bit to the left. _"So?" _Tiffany asked.

Dannika stared at them. "_She knew about the ghost attack!_" she yelled.

"_A lot of people knew about the attack…" _Tiffany mused.

"But she knew which ghost it was!" Dannika objected.

"_So?"_ Tiffany asked again, crossing her arms over her chest. _"There are a ton of epxle-"_

"_Wait, Tiffany, Dannika might have something here…" _Nick interrupted.

"_She does?"_

"I do?"

"_Well, yeah. I mean, how many people actually saw the ghost? And saying that you won't like whatever it is she wants you to do, that generally leads to disaster…" _Nick explained.

Dannika and Tiffany stared at him. What was the boy getting at? Shaking her head, Dannika asked, "Well, what do you guys think I should do?"

Tiffany shook her head and threw her hands into the air. _"Apparently I know nothing!"_

Nick shook his head, laughing slightly. _"Well, to start, you should probably find out what she wants."_

"_That might be a good idea…"_ Tiffany added sarcastically.

"_Tiffany!"_ Nick and Dannika yelled together.

"_I know nothing," _Tiffany muttered, slouching in her chair.

"Right," Dannika said, getting back on subject. "I'll go talk to Danielle, then." With that, she logged off and headed back down into the living room. "Hey, Danielle," she called. "Didn't you have something you wanted to ask me?"

Danielle stopped her conversation with Tucker to look at Dannika. "Oh, eh, of course. Excuse me, Tuck," she added to the man. She got up and followed Dannika down into the basement. Once down there, Dannika shut the door, locking them both in.

"Now," she said, turning to Danielle. "What is it that you think I'm bound to refuse?"

Danielle sighed. "Always with the bad attitude…"

"Yeah, well, it's not fun when people you don't trust know your secret," Dannika muttered.

"Right," Danielle sighed. "Well, what I want of you is actually quite simple. You already know that your father isn't all that popular anymore in Amity Park."

Dannika rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it was hard to figure that out, seeing as the reporters are so found of him," she said rather sarcastically. "Just tell me what you want."

Danielle sighed. "Well, I want you to take up your father's career."

"WHAT?" Dannika screeched, instantly more attentive.

"I'll even train you," Danielle offered. "Just make it look like Danny has time for Amity Park again."

"No!"

"Dannika, please, think about what it would do for your father!" Danielle begged.

"Why should I?" Dannika demanded. "I've been undercover all my life, and I don't plan t come out! All I want is to get rid of the powers! Not learn how to use them!"

"Please! You don't know what you're talking about," Danielle pleaded.

"No," Dannika argued. "For once, I do know what I'm doing! I won't let you come in and ruin my life!" Before Danielle could say any more, Dannika dashed out of the basement and back up to her room. There, she screamed, letting out her frustration and fear, before finally collapsing onto her bed. What was she going to do? _How could she ask me such a thing?_**Author's Notes:**

* * *

_So yeah, if you're wondering why Danielle is sleeping in the basement it's cause the guest room mentioned by Danny in Kindred Spirits is occupied by Danny's parents. So… yeah. There's the third chapter! Anyways, there's something on my mind other than how everyone liked his new chapter, which is always on my mind when I update a story… That something is weather or not Jake should fine out Dannika has ghost powers… Part of me thinks he should, but then part of me thinks that it would be too Danny Phantomish… You know… How Jazz found out Danny had ghost powers and all… And then another part thinks it might unbalance the rest of the plot I have planned… But I want to see what the people who read my fan fiction think._

_Comments and reviews are loved!_


	4. The Condition

_**Chapter Four**_

_**The Condition**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_Well, here's the fourth chapter!_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

"What do you mean, she offered to train you!" Nick yelled. The three were on the bus again, headed to school. They sat in their normal seats, Dannika and Tiffany in one, Nick in the one across the aisle from them.

"Shh shh!" Dannika hissed, waving her hands warningly. "Not so loud!"

"Yeah, remember, no one else on this bus knows anything," Tiffany added, rolling her eyes.

Dannika sighed. "You guys aren't taking this seriously enough," she complained, then glanced at Nick. "Well, Tiff isn't anyway… You're taking it way too seriously, Nick."

It was Nick's turn to roll his eyes. "I wasn't the one saying that you might need help to get rid of your powers."

"What does that have to do with any of this?" Dannika asked, cocking an eyebrow at the boy.

"The woman offered to train you. How much more help could you want?" Nick questioned. He was sitting sideways in the seat, so he could face the two girls, his elbows propped up on his legs, his hands clasped in his lap. He had a look in his eye, the kind of look that he got when he was talking about why he tried so hard not to fit in. The kind of look one would get when they know that they will win a debate. However, Dannika wasn't so sure that he was right.

"I don't need training," she retorted, staring moodily down the aisle, avoiding Nick's gaze. "What I need is to know how to get rid of them!"

There was silence - well, as close to silence as one could get on a school bus - as Dannika and Nick each simmered with annoyance. Finally, Nick broke the silence, "I'm just saying, maybe if you knew how your powers worked, you'd be able to figure out how to get rid of them a bit easier."

Dannika didn't reply, but the statement circulated her mind the rest of the way to school. Amazingly enough, Nick remained quiet through out the bus ride as well. However, this silence didn't sit right with Tiffany. As soon as the bus stopped and the students began to unload, Tiffany spoke, breaking the excruciatingly long silence. "So I can go home with you and see my dad today after school?" she asked, directing the question toward Dannika.

"Yeah, sure," the girl replied absently. She was trying to think of a counter argument toward Nick's statement. Though many arose in the teenager's brain, none seemed to fit the bill. She silently argued with herself relentlessly, trying to convince herself that Nick did NOT have a point, nor would he EVER have a point. _It's as simple as that_, her stubborn side insisted, but the more logical side wouldn't buy it.

As the day wore on, Dannika began to think of different reasons of why she was right and Nick was wrong. To start, if she agreed to training with Danielle, that would be all of her efforts trying to relinquish herself of her powers gone down the drain. And what about what _she_ wants? It just wasn't in her to fight ghosts. That wasn't her. She really, truly, honestly didn't want anything to do with ghosts… _It's not my fault I even have the powers!_ she told herself.

She was waiting for Tiffany outside Fenton Works. Her friend had told her on the bus that she had to let her mom know where she'd be. That had been two hours ago. Dannika was starting to worry and was just about to give Tiffany a call when the girl came running down the road. She stopped momentarily as the wind buffeted her beret off. As soon as she scooped up the hat, she continued running toward her friend, her dark hair blowing in her face.

"Tiffany!" Dannika exclaimed as her friend drew nearer. "What took you so long? And why are you such a wreck?" she added as she caught sight of her friend. Her mascara was running down her face, her eye shadow smeared up past her eyebrows. Her the strap of her tank top was half-way down her arm, her Capri's were torn and stained with purple splotches. Looking closer, Dannika realized the purple splotches were in Tiffany's hair as well.

Following her friend's gaze, Tiffany forced a small smile, subconsciously patting her hair. "I painted my room," the girl explained, brushing the spots on her pants.

"Why?" Dannika asked.

"I was upset, and my mom said I had to wait until after dinner," Tiffany muttered, replacing her beret on her head.

"Why?" Dannika repeated.

"I don't know!" Tiffany exploded. "Because she's trying to ruin my life! How am I supposed to know? Ask her!"

"Ok!" Dannika exclaimed. "Calm down! I was only asking…" She licked her thumb and scrubbed at the eye shadow on her friend's face. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine," Tiffany muttered, her confused state leading to anger and frustration. However, when she looked at Dannika her eyes were full of tears. "Can I just see my dad now?"

"Of course," Dannika said, a motherly smile etching itself onto her face. She wrapped her arm around her friends shoulder and guided her into the house. _Everything will be fine in a few seconds,_ she silently promised her friend. Oh, how wrong she was.

When the two walked into the living room, there was no sign that Tucker had even been there.

"He's not here," Tiffany sighed, as if she had been expecting such, but it still hurt her.

"Well, surprise, surprise," Sam laughed, walking into the living room, carrying a basket of laundry. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't show up."

Dannika sighed, wondering how her mother could be so oblivious. "Where's Tucker?" she asked, using all of her will power to keep her exasperation out of her voice.

"Work," Mrs. Fenton replied simply, beginning to fold the clothes.

"Of course he is," Tiffany muttered. Sinking onto the couch, holding her head in her hands.

"Hey," Dannika whispered, sitting down next to her friend and rubbing Tiffany's back gently. "It's ok…" But her friend soon began to shake with sobs.

"This w-wasn't s-s-supposed to h-h-happen!" Tiffany sobbed. "W-we were o-one h-happy family! A-a-and I h-had a l-little s-s-sister on the w-waaaay!"

Surprise overwhelmed Dannika for a moment, before she stored it in the back of her mind, leaving herself a mental note to interrogate her friend about this "little sister on the way" later. For now, she wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her into a hug, shooting her mother a "not now" look when Sam glanced there way, Mrs. Fenton's expression filling with worry at the site of them.

After about ten minutes of sitting, huddled up on the couch, the girl's moved to Dannika's room, where they talked for hours, as if nothing was bothering either of them. It was just like when they were little, when Dannika didn't quite understand the extremities of her powers, and when Tiffany's life seemed average. The hours passed, and still, Tucker did not show up. Come midnight, Sam was having to send Tiffany home, still a no-show Tucker.

"Maybe tomorrow," Sam told the teen, watching her head down the lamp-lit street. Dannika stood behind her mother, wondering if her friend truly was in a better mood, or pretending as to not make the ghost-girl feel bad. _Nice try,_ Dannika thought. _But, until this is all over, you will always have my sympathy._

* * *

The next day on the bus ride to school, Tiffany was in a much better mood, though still depressed. However, she was more ready to focus on other things. That's not to say the same thing for Nick. The boy was dwelling on the complexities of girls' lives. "I mean, come on!" he muttered, sloughing in the seat, "you guys always have _something_ to complain about!" He wasn't in the best mood, and refused to look the two girls in the eye.

Dannika sighed, shaking her head. "Well, sometimes we have more emotions to cope with than you do," she said, a bit exasperated. Danielle hadn't confronted her again about her powers since she had made the offer, but the woman's silence only flustered Dannika all the more. Nick just shrugged, staring down the aisle. Dannika looked to Tiffany for help, but her friend merely shrugged. Sighing, Dannika started again, "Look, Nick, I'm sorry. I'm just not in a good mood…"

Nick shook his head. "You haven't been in a good mood ever since that Danielle person came around." He was still staring down the aisle, refusing Dannika eye-contact.

"He's right," Tiffany whispered. Dannika whipped around to star at her friend. "Girl, he doesn't know how far back it really goes. We used to have so much fun when we were younger, back when you didn't care. Ever since you decided you hate your powers, you've never truly been in a _good_ mood. You haven't really wanted to do anything other than find out how to get rid of them…" Tiffany paused, and stared out the window. "It's no fun helping you get rid of them."

Dannika couldn't believe what she was hearing. It couldn't be true. She was tons of fun! They'd never complained about her wanting to get rid of her powers before…

Just then, the bus rolled to a stop, and everyone rushed off to meet up with their friends. Dannika walked down to her locker and placed her books and backpack in, grabbing out her first period things. Before she closed her locker, she noticed a little black scorch mark on the metal frame. Reaching her hand into her locker, she touched it gently, remembering the day she had made it. The first day of school, they had just gotten their lockers. What was the ghost girl to find in hers but a big, black, hairy spider. In fright, she had moved to smack it, but her hand glowed with ecto-plasmic energy, scorching the poor thing, and leaving a nasty little black mark in its place. She had learned some control over her powers years ago, but, looking at that scorch mark now made Dannika realize she had a long way to go. And what if she couldn't get rid of her powers? This obsession was driving the only friends she had away from her. She didn't need to be trained to fight ghosts, maybe she didn't even need to get rid of her powers completely. No, what she needed was control. She could live with her powers so long as no one knew. The bell rang, and the girl shut her locker and ran off to class. She knew what she had to do, she just wasn't sure that she was ready for it.

* * *

Dannika phoned in home at lunch, asking her mother to take her home, that she wasn't feeling well. Sam tried to talk her daughter out of it, but there was no wavering. Dannika wanted to go home, so Sam came and checked her daughter out for the day.

"I was just about to head out to the store when you called," Sam told Dannika on the drive home. The ghost-girl was sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window, her backpack on the floor between her feet. "Do you want to come with me, or do you want me to drop you off at home?"

"Home," Dannika said without hesitation.

Sam glanced at her daughter, stopping at a red light. "Are you feeling alright, Sweetie?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Dannika said. "I just want to go home. I'll be fine tomorrow." Sam nodded, and turned toward Fenton Works.

* * *

Dannika watcher her mother drive away, making sure she was really gone, before entering the house. The smell of stir-fry hung in they air as Dannika walked into the living room, throwing her backpack down on the couch. "Danielle?" she called into the empty air.

"In they kitchen!" came the reply.

Dannika wondered into the kitchen/dinning room area. There, standing at the stove, was Danielle. "Smells good," Dannika said, conversationally.

Danielle laughed, stirring the vegetables in the pan. "I'm afraid it might burn before your mother gets back. I've never been one for cooking."

"Mmmm," Dannika muttered, grabbing two oranges. She stared at the fruit before replacing one in the dish and pulling the trash can over to the table with her. She sat down and began pealing it, letting the silence hang in the air. Finally, she said, "I was thinking, you know, I really don't know much about my powers… Only what I've figured out for myself…" She glanced up, expecting to get a reaction from Danielle, but finding none. Dannika sighed, but pressed on, knowing it had to be done, "And, it would be nice to… erm… be taught… in how to…" She paused and cleared her throat. "How to control… my powers."

A moment of silence followed before Danielle replied. "So, you're accepting my offer to train you?"

Dannika didn't reply immediately. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about this, though she'd been thinking about what she would say throughout the school day. "Well, yes, I'm accepting your offer to train me, but," she said quickly, "I don't want to take up my father's career. That has never been an option for me."

Danielle nodded. "You want me to train you, but you don't want to fight for your father," she reinstated.

"Yeah," Dannika said, a bit uncertain. "That's what I said." She was starting to worry that Danielle wouldn't agree. To her surprise, the woman nodded, and said, "I'll do it."

"Really?' Dannika gasped. "Thank you! I'll be a great student, make no mis-"

"I will be expecting you in the basement every weekday after school, and every weekend after lunch," Danielle interrupted.

"What?" Dannika exclaimed. "But that's so not fair!"

Danielle turned and pointed the spoon she had been stirring the stir-fry with at Dannika, "You want me to train you, you do it when I say, or you can forget it."

Dannika was steaming, but she didn't argue. Instead, she got up, and made to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow after school," Danielle called, just as the girl vanished into the hall.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_Well, there's chapter four! Dannika has agreed to be trained by Danielle… Hope everyone liked it!_

_Comments and reviews are loved!_


	5. Reporters Right?

_**Chapter Five**_

_**Reporters Right?**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_Well, sorry 'bout how short the fourth chapter was… I kind of got a bit impatient at the end there and just wanted to get it up… This one will be much better though!_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

"Where's Jake?" Dannika asked, sitting down at the table for dinner. Her brother hadn't shown up after school, and she was beginning to worry.

"He's gone to Nasty Burger with some of his friends for dinner. He said they had a project to work on after school together," Sam explained, setting the vegetarian casserole that was that night's meal.

"Oh," Dannika muttered, as she watched her grandfather pile his plate with the casserole. She didn't understand why he took so much when everyone knew he was only going to complain about it.

"I… I have other news, too," Sam said, taking her seat. All eyes were on her now. "I got a job."

"Mom, that's great!" Dannika exclaimed. Just as she spoke, someone wrapped their knuckles on the wall by the door. Everyone turned to find Tucker standing there.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all," Sam said warmly, motioning toward the empty chair on her left where Danny normally sat.

Tucker nodded and took up the seat. He was still dressed in his work clothes, and had a tired expression. They hadn't seen anything of him the night before, and his sudden appearance at their dinner table annoyed Dannika. She wasn't so much annoyed that he was there as she was annoyed that he hadn't been there the night before, when his daughter needed him. "So, you got a job?" Tucker asked casually, looking suspiciously at the casserole.

"Yes, we need the money, even with Danny working for the government now. Difficult times are ahead…"

Tucker shook his head. "You know, I could always…" he began, but was quickly interrupted.

"We don't need any help, Tucker! We have it under control," Sam snapped.

Dannika stared at the two, unable to comprehend what was going on. She had seen the two fight before, but her mother rarely yelled, and never at Tucker. "I'm going to go up to my room. I'm done," Dannika muttered, getting up from her seat and rushing to her bedroom. She didn't bother to wait and see if anyone had heard her.

In her room, Dannika stared out the window, wondering. She knew she had the same room her father had had when he was growing up here. She understood that her father had looked out this very same window, might have even stood in the exact same spot. She began to wonder what kinds of things he was looking at, or looking for, when he had looked out this window. She knew that ghosts had, and still were, a major problem Was that what he had been looking for? Looking at? Watching? Dannika shook he head and closed the blinds. She didn't want to know what her father had done when he lived in this room. Knowing seemed to mean that she had to walk in his footsteps. _But that could never happen, _she reminded herself. _Dad got his powers when he was fourteen, I was born with mine._

She turned and stared at her computer, half tempted to turn it on and see if Nick or Tiffany were online. Instead, she grabbed the remote from her night stand and turned on the TV. The news was on with the normal anchorman and anchorwoman.

"_Another ghost struck city hall tonight," _the woman was saying. _"Workers were immediately evacuated."_ The screen switched to a recording of the attack and the building's occupants running out through the doors. Dannika caught a glimpse of Tucker amongst the crowd. _"Eye-witnesses from inside the building report sights of glowing green lights, and a low humming sound coming from where the ghost struck. Could this be a trick, or did Danny Phantom, once again, fail to protect his home town?"_ The cameras were on the anchormen again, who went on to introduce the weather and weatherman.

Dannika sighed and turned off the television. It was always the same old stuff… Even when there wasn't an attack, reporters were always talking trash about her father. And she actually cared this time that they were doing it! Looking around her room, Dannika noticed a photo hidden under the rest on one of her cork boards. Only the lower left corner could be seen. Getting, Dannika walked over to the corkboard and pulled the long-forgotten picture down. A few tears appeared around the edges from thumb tacks and was slightly faded, but, other than that, was in perfectly good condition. There, in the center of the photo, was a younger version of herself, probably six, with her arms wrapped around Danny's shoulders, planting a big kiss on his cheek as he laughed. She didn't remember this at all, but, there it was. From a time when she had been close to her father. Still staring at the picture, Dannika walked back to her bed and sat down. She looked so care-free in this picture. And Danny seemed happy. Dannika remembered the time when she had been close to her father. It was a time when she had cried every time he had to go. When she had clung to him, begging him to stay. It was because of his frequent absence and constant leaving that the two had grown apart, but, looking at the picture now, Dannika couldn't understand how even that could tear such a relationship apart…

* * *

Dannika awoke in the middle of the night. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but there she was, curled up on her bed, clutching the picture she had found hidden on her corkboard. She remained in that position a moment, photo clutched to her chest, listening. What could have woken her? She couldn't hear anything. Everything seemed quiet, like the night should be. Then there was a type of exploding sound, and a scream. Leaping from her bed, Dannika threw the picture to the floor and ran out her door.

"Dannika!" Jake gasped, wrapping his sister in a hug as she nearly knocked them both over. The boy's eyes widened in terror, and he yelled, "Get down!" dragging them both to the ground as a green blast shot over their heads.

"What's going on?" Dannika shrieked as she crouched to the ground, her brother's arms tight around her.

"We're being attacked! Ghosts!" Jake yelled as there came another scream and Jack was hurled to the wall.

"Grandpa!" Dannika yelled, breaking free of her brother and rushing to the man's side. "Grandpa! Are you alright? Please be alright," she begged, pressing her ear to his chest. The man let out a low groan, and tried to push himself into a sitting position.

"Jack!" Maddie cried, running to her husband's side and pushing Dannika away.

Tucker came running up the stairs at that moment with Sam right behind him. "Maddie, get Jake and Dannika out of here!" Sam yelled at the woman, rushing to Jack's side, but Maddie shook her head, refusing to leave her husband's side. "Maddie, please! Tucker and I will get Jack out! Just get Jake and Dannika to safety!" Sam begged, looking Maddie Fenton in the eyes.

The gesture seemed to give Maddie strength and she turned to the siblings. "Come on, kids!" she said, getting to her feet. "We have to get out of here!"

Jake stumbled to his feet in his rush to get to his sister's side. He grabbed under her arms and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon!" he cried, running down the stairs with Dannika in toe. Maddie followed quickly behind them.

"B-but isn't this running _into_ the danger?" Dannika stammered, screaming as an ecto blast whizzed over her head.

"Yup," Jake said simply, yelling above the noise.

"Hurry!" Maddie urged the two onward.

Dannika was too scared to think or react to anything. Every time they were shot at, all she could do was scream. The small stretch that was the hall suddenly seemed miles long, and everywhere she looked, Dannika thought she saw a ghost. Finally, they reached the stairs, but Maddie called them back. "NO! This way! To the Op-center!"

"The what?" Dannika screamed as her brother pulled her back around, dashing back to Maddie, who had pulled down a ladder.

"The power's been cut, we have go up the old fashioned way." She stepped aside and pulled Jake forward. "Up you go," she urged.

"No," Jake protested. "Dannika first."

Dannika shook her head. "Uh-uh, you go!"

"There's no time to argue, Sweetie," Maddie said, pulling Dannika forward, Just as the girl was about to protest again, another blast came shooting by. Screaming, Dannika made her way up the ladder. When she reached the top, she found herself in a large, circular room. There was a fridge off to the left, and all around her were windows, cabinets, draws, and a never-ending counter along the wall.

"Dannie, move!" Jake muttered, pushing his sister a bit as he made his way into the Op-center.

"Sorry," Dannika muttered, stepping aside.

Maddie soon joined them. Dannika expected to see Tucker, Sam and Jack coming up too, but, to her dismay, Maddie closed the trapdoor. "We should be safe up here," her grandmother muttered, latching the door.

"What about Mom? Mayor Tucker? Grandpa?" Dannika demanded, panic rising to her voice.

"They'll be fine," Maddie assured the teen. "They've all fought ghosts before, and they have Danielle down there helping them. She has ghost powers like your father, you know," Maddie informed them.

"She does?" Jake asked, shocked. Dannika merely looked away.

"Yes," Maddie said, pulling out three sleeping bags from one of the cupboards. "Though it would be better if Danny were here… He has more experience and better knowledge and control over his powers." She laid out the sleeping bags, one right next to the other, and motioned for Jake and Dannika to tuck in. "You have school tomorrow, so get rest."

Jake and Dannika looked at each other. They were both thinking the same thing. How could they get any sleep when there was a ghost attacking the house just below them? Still, they knew there was no point in arguing with their grandmother, and crawled into the sleeping bags. Dannika took the one to the far right and Jake took the one in the middle. Jake seemed to get to sleep pretty easily, but Dannika remained restless. She lay awake for hours, listening to the clashing and screaming from below. Eventually, Maddie crawled into the sleeping bag to the far left and fell asleep. When her steady breathing filled the air, Dannika felt a tap on her shoulder. She rolled over to find Jake sitting up, staring at her intently.

"I didn't think you were asleep," her brother muttered. "I can't believe she could get to sleep." He nodded toward their grandmother.

Dannika pulled herself into a sitting position. "Do you think Grandpa's ok?" she asked, worried.

"Grandpa's strong. He's lived through a lot. I'm sure he'll be fine," Jake answered.

Dannika sighed. She suddenly wished more than ever that she could fight the ghost down there. That she could protect her family. But even if she did know how to fight and how to use her powers, she wasn't sure if she had it in her to battle with ghosts. "I wish there was something we could do…" she muttered.

"Yeah," Jake agreed, surprising his sister.

Shaking her head, Dannika asked, "What time is it?"

Jake looked at the watch that he wore day and night. "3:20 A.M."

"Good thing it's the weekend," Dannika sighed. "What do you think the house will look like down there when this is all over?" the girl asked.

"Wrecked?" Jake suggested. "I don't know, it won't look the same, that's for sure."

Dannika nodded, yawning. It was beginning to quiet down. "How do you think they're doing?" she asked, slipping back down into her sleeping bag.

"They're probably fine," Jake said, sliding down into his own sleeping bag. "Why don't we try to get some rest?"

Dannika nodded, too tired to protest. Soon, she found herself fast asleep, but her dreams were disturbed, haunted by strange, mutated ghosts, and the deaths of her loved ones. She awoke screaming, the last scene of her dream replaying over and over again in her head. Jake had just been pushing her up the ladder. When she looked down at him again, he was laying on the ground, blood gushing from a wound in his chest. "Jake!" Dannika had screamed, and it had been that scream that had awoken her.

"Dannika!" Came her brother's voice from below. "Hang on! I'm coming!" The girl sat in her sleeping bag, shaking with fear until her brother climbed into the Op-center and kneeled at her side. Dannika clung to him, holding him tight.

"You - you were dead," she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You were bleeding! The ghost… you were dead!"

"Shh, shh, it's alright," Jake soothed, rubbing his sister's back. "It's alright, it was only a dream. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Dannika cried onto her brother's shoulder for quite some time. Finally, it seemed her tears had dried up, and she pulled away, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "You okay?" Jake asked, resting his hand on her shoulder. Dannika nodded, not trusting her voice. "We don't have to worry about ghosts anymore. Mom's going to have the ghost-shield on 24/7 from now on," the boy informed her.

Dannika nodded, sniffling, wiping away the last of her tears. "How's Grandpa?" she asked. But Jake didn't answer. When Dannika looked into her brother's eyes, she saw the very thing she had been dreading lingering in his gaze.

"Come on," Jake said gently, pulling Dannika to her feet. "Why don't you get something to eat?"

Numb with shock, Dannika allowed Jake to guide her down into the kitchen and sit her in a chair. "Here," he said, handing her piece of toast. "Eat this."

Dannika stared at the bread, and shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she muttered.

"You have to eat something," Jake insisted, but Dannika shook her head.

"He didn't make it," she muttered. Jake didn't say anything. "He didn't make it, but he could have. If Dad had been here, he would have made it!"

Jake shook his head. "Maybe not," he whispered. "Dannika, we don't know what would have been if things had been different, but we know what has been. He may be gone, but we have to move on. He would want that."

Dannika shook her head, another tear rolling down her cheek. "It will never be the same without him," she whispered.

Jake looked away from her. "Dad's coming back. He got the message this morning. He feels horrible."

"He should," Dannika muttered bitterly.

Jake sighed, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. "Mom excused us from school today, in case you were wondering. And the funeral is in two weeks." He got up to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "Eat, you'll feel better." And he left.

Dannika let a tear roll down her face before getting to her feet. She tossed the toast into the trash and headed out of the kitchen, intending to go up to her room. When she entered the living room, how ever, she was in for a big surprise. She hadn't paid much attention to what the house looked like when Jake had took her down to get some breakfast, and now she wished she hadn't been paying attention when she left the kitchen. The living room was wreck. The couch was completely torn apart, with stuffing, wood and plastic littering the floor. Gapping holes distorted the walls, and doors hung, nearly falling off their hinges. The stairs leading up to the hallway and upper floor were in no condition to be walking on, and a ladder had been placed under the banister, the railing having either been blown to smithereens or removed by her mother or Tucker. Wanting do get as far away from the disaster as possible, Dannika climbed the ladder as fast as she could and dashed into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

In her room, she flung herself onto her bed, letting the tears flow. Grief took hold, and she shook with her sobs. She blamed her father for this, and the ghost that had attacked, and she blamed Danielle. The woman was supposed to protect them. She was supposed to step in when Danny couldn't.

Dannika was left to grieve, undisturbed until noon, and even then it was only Maddie, asking if the teenager wanted anything to eat. Dannika had shook her head, and her grandmother had left her alone once again. Sometime after 3:30, Tiffany called, but the girl ignored the phone. Nick called sometime later, trying her cell first, and then the home phone. When her mother had come up, telling her the boy was on the phone, Dannika acted as if she were asleep. She didn't want to talk to anyone, didn't have anything to talk about, and she didn't want her friends' sympathy. Finally, around 5 o'clock P.M, Danielle came up to talk to her.

"Dannika?" the ghost-girl said, poking her head into Dannika's room. Dannika tried to pretend she was asleep, like she did with her mother, but Danielle wasn't as easily put off as Sam was. "Come on now," the clone sighed, walking n and sitting on the edge of the bed. "We both know you're not sleeping."

"What do you want?" Dannika muttered, sorrow obscuring her words.

Danielle placed her hand on the teenager's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "Well, you can look at me for a start." The girl rolled over and glared at her cousin. Seeing Dannika's grief-stricken and tear-stained face made Danielle's heart sink, and her expression softened. "You don't have to train tonight if you don't want to…"

Dannika rolled her eyes. 'Gee, thanks! One lonely night of misery, and you're giving me the day off!"

Danielle sighed. "I'm only trying to help." There was silence between the two. Then Danielle spoke again. "Dannika, believe me when I say, loosing Jack is like loosing my own father."

Dannika looked away. How could she believe her? Danielle had given her no reason to believe a single word the woman said. "Just leave," the girl whispered.

Danielle sighed, and got up, as if to go, but, before she left, she turned back, and said, "You should call your friends. They're worried about you." And she left.

Dannika looked back at the empty doorway. Part of her wanted to ignore what Danielle had said, what did she know about her friends anyway? But the other part of her knew that her friends wouldn't have been so persistent in calling her if they weren't worried. Rolling over, she grabbed her phone and pressed "send" twice.

"_Hello?"_ Came Nick's voice.

"Hey, Nick," Dannika said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I just heard." She sighed, and started again. "I was -"

"_Dannie! Hey!" _the boy interrupted. _"Where were you today? And what happened to you yesterday? Tiff has been going crazy!"_

Dannika laughed a little at that. "Tiff is, huh?" she asked. "But, weren't you the one who called twice?"

"_Yeah, well - "_

"_HI, DANNIE!" _came a rather distant cry.

"_I've got Tiff on the computer over here…"_ Nick muttered.

"Should I get on too?" Dannika asked.

"_Yeah, that'd probably help a bit…"_ Nick replied.

"Ok, see you in a minute," Dannika said as she snapped her phone shut. She crawled over her bed and to her computer, where she turned on her web cam and logged on.

"_DANNIKA!"_ Tiffany screamed the moment her face flickered onto the screen. Nick had his hands clasped over his ears when he came up.

Dannika tried for a weak smile and waved slightly. "Hi," she mumbled.

"_Where were you today? And why'd you run off like that yesterday?"_ the girl demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. _"I was worried about you!"_

Dannika sighed, and looked away from the screen. "I had things to do yesterday, and - "

"_Things? What sort of things?"_ Tiffany asked, leaning closer to her own screen.

Dannika shook her head. "I asked Danielle to train me."

There was shocked silence, then, _"I don't believe it,"_ It was Nick. He had removed his hands from his ears by this time, and was staring at Dannika in complete astonishment. _"You actually did it, didn't you? You really asked her to help…"_

Dannika merely shrugged, staring of in a different direction.

"_There's something else, isn't there?"_ Tiffany asked, sensing her friend's sadness. _"Dannika, what's wrong? What happened?"_

The ghost-girl didn't reply at first, but when she looked back at the screen, tears were streaking down her face. "Grandpa died. A ghost attacked us last night and killed him."

Tiffany was staring back at Dannika, horror-struck. _"Oh Dannie, I'm so sorry!"_ she whispered. Nick didn't say anything, but the look on his face told Dannika she had his sympathy.

The girl shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll be back in school Monday, Dad's gonna be here sometime in the next week, and the funeral's in two weeks. It'll all be over then." Nick and Tiffany remained silent, unsure how to continue, or what to say. "Tiff," Dannika said, looking away from the monitor again. "If you want to, your dad's still here, you could stop by tomorrow…"

Tiffany nodded. _"Ok,"_ she said, wanting to comfort her friend just as much as she wanted to see her dad.

After that, the three said goodnight and Dannika powered down her computer and webcam. Suddenly, she was feeling a little hungry, and wondered down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Jake was sitting at the table, doing school work, as usual. When Dannika walked past him, he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Yeah?" the girl asked groggily.

Without looking up from his work, Jake tossed her an orange, saying, "I knew you'd be down to eat something eventually. Sit down, I've got the garbage over here too."

Dannika glanced down at the orange in her hands before joining her brother at the table. "More homework?" she asked, beginning to peal the fruit.

Jake shook his head. "No, I'm working out the financials of Grandpa's funeral. Mom and Tucker's gone off to arrange everything."

Dannika nodded, not wanting to talk about his death, not wanting to have to even think about it. "Tiff's coming over to see Mayer Tucker tomorrow," she said casually, throwing some of the orange peal in the trash.

Jake nodded, tapping the end of his pencil against his lips, as he always does when he's thinking. Dannika could tell that he was absorbed in his work. Ever since her brother had gotten into middle school, he had taken up some of the financial calculations to give their mother a break. He didn't necessarily like doing it, but it was good for Sam to have some down time.

After she had her orange pealed, Dannika made to leave, but her brother stopped her. "I know you're worried and upset," he said, making her pause at the door. "But everything's going to be fine. You'll see."

Dannika hesitated a moment more before silently making her way back up the ladder and to her room. _No,_ she thought, _everything's not going to be fine. It'll never be fine…_

* * *

The next day Tiffany was over. She came by around noon, and, this time, Tucker was there when she arrived. The girl was ecstatic to see her father. She talked with him for half an hour, crying a lot of that time, before he had to head off to City Hall. When he had gone, Tiffany made her way up to Dannika's room, wiping lingering tears from her cheeks. "Hey," she sighed, sitting on the bed next to the ghost-girl.

"Hey," Dannika muttered, her eyes glued to the TV. She was watching the news, again. The attack on Fenton Works had some how gotten to a reporter, and the current feed was live as the before mentioned reporter pestered Tucker for answers. The Mayor, however, refused to tell him anything, repeatedly saying, "No comment," to all of the questions thrown at him. Paparazzi had zoned in on the house around 5 AM, and hadn't left since. Dannika had had to watch helplessly from her bedroom as Tiffany had fought her way through the people crowded around her house.

"Still watching that, are you?" Tiffany laughed, laying back on the bed. She was in a rather pleasant mood after talking with her father.

Dannika nodded. "Yeah," she muttered, before turning the TV off. She turned to face her friend. "Better?" she asked, meaning Tiffany's previous state of depression due to her father's absence.

Tiffany sat up, laughing slightly. "I didn't mean you had to turn it off," she said, misinterpreting her friend's question. Seeing Dannika's long face changed the girl's mood, however. "How are you doing?" she asked, concerned.

Dannika shrugged, looking away. "There's always going to be a hole there," she said.

Tiffany tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure it's because of, you know? Completely because of that?" she asked.

"What?" Dannika asked, staring at her friend in confusion.

"The hole, the sadness, the depression. I mean, you weren't even that close to him…" Tiffany explained.

Dannika shook her head. "Does it matter?" she muttered. "And what else would do it?"

Tiffany shrugged. "Oh, I don't know… Maybe because you now have to accept it."

"Accept what?" Dannika snapped, her sorrow making her short-tempered.

"That your dad really isn't there for the city," Tiffany said seriously. "That the reporters were right."

Dannika glowered at the wall. "The reporters are NOT right," she said bitterly.

Tiffany sighed, getting up off the bed. "You've been watching the news enough to know it's true, Dannie, why don't you start accepting something bad for once in your life?" And she left.

Dannika watched her go, feeling hollow and empty. Why had she snapped? How could she have driven her friend out like that? Tears streaking down her face, she threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. How had things gotten so bad?

* * *

Sunday came around and Dannika was starting to see some sense. She watched the news every chance she got, and it was always the same information. They were beginning to slow down on the attack at Fenton Works, but there was always the comments about Danny Phantom's absence. Dannika was beginning to wonder if they might have a point, though she still refused to accept it. By dinner, she was ready to never watch the news again. Around the same time, however, her father came home.

The family was sitting at the table, eating in silence. Tucker was still out at City Hall, and Sam had only just gotten off from her new job an hour ago. The only noise that could be heard was the gentle clicking of the utensils on the plates. Everyone had grown so used to the silence that, when there came a voice from the front door, everyone nearly jumped out of their skin.

"Sam?" came Danny's voice as he closed the door behind him. "Jake, Dannika? Mom?"

"Dad's back!" Dannika gasped, leaping from her chair and running to the door, Jake on her heals. Sam followed behind more slowly, pausing in the doorway to watch her husband embrace his children. It had only been a week, and in normal circumstances, Dannika would have barely said a "hello" and Jake would have a short conversation about how school's been going and what his father had missed. However, this wasn't normal circumstances. The family needed each other. There was no room for giving anyone the cold shoulder now.

"Hey guys," Danny said, looking down at his two children. "How are you two doing?"

Dannika was on the brink of tears, but she blinked them away. "You were quick," she said, avoiding his question. She didn't want to say how she was doing. So much had been going through her mind in the last few days, and grief had clouded her judgment. She had blown up on her best friend, there was a death to deal with, and, on top of it all, she was still dealing with he own problems, both old and new. She didn't want to talk about that. Especially not to her father.

Danny laughed at his daughter's statement, but it was a hollow laugh. He felt the same grief as the rest of the family. While Dannika had lost her grandfather, Danny had lost his father. "I came as quickly as could," he told her. "I just wish I had been here… I could have stopped it…" He trailed off, looking up at Sam.

"But," Dannika objected, not wanting to hear the words from her own father's mouth, "you were busy with work! You couldn't have been here… If you could have, than you would have, right?" She looked up at him, but his eyes didn't say "right" they said "I'm sorry." She had wanted the reassurance, that the reporters really were wrong. She just wanted him to nod his head and say "Right."

But he didn't. He shook his head and sighed. "I would have been here if I had known, if I hadn't been in Mexico," he said. It was no better than if he were to say "wrong."

"There was a ghost attack the other day," Jake said casually. Dannika shot him a warning glare. She wasn't sure what he was getting at, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Danny didn't say anything at first. He just stared at Jake, then at Dannika. "Oh, sweetheart," he sighed, wrapping his daughter in a hug. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright? Were you scared?" He gazed down at her, his gaze full of worry.

Dannika squirmed out of his hug. "I'm fine," she muttered. "It wasn't like a big attack or anything…" She looked away, grumpily. She expected everyone to continue talking like they normally do, but no one did. She glanced around and saw them all staring at her. She sighed. "Dad, tell me straight forward, yes or no. If you got word of an attack on Amity Park while you were away with business, would you come and help?"

Danny hesitated. "Well, if it put you in danger -"

"No!" Dannika interrupted. "Yes or no, Dad. If it were just an attack on Amity Park. It doesn't matter if we were anywhere near. If it was just an attack." Tears were in her eyes now as she glared her father down. "Yes or no," she repeated.

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "I have to put my family first, Dannika."

"Dad!"

"No," Danny said, gazing at his daughter with sad, blue eyes. "No, if it meant leaving work and you weren't in danger, no."

That was it. Dannika couldn't take it anymore. She turned her back on her father and everyone else in the room, and she ran to the upper level of the house, tears streaking down her face. She heard her father calling after her, and her mother telling him no, that she needed her space. She knew Jake would be watching after her, could feel his disappointed gaze on her back. But she didn't care. Her world, her fragile world, was crashing down around her. The little respect she still held for her father, smashed. Everything the reporters had said, everything she had denied and ignored, it was all true. She ran down the upstairs hallway, tearing through her bedroom door. She slammed it behind her and threw herself on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. She had to accept it all now. Her father had admitted it. He had confirmed it. She didn't know what to do, what to say or think. All she could do was cry and sob, so many emotions bubbling up inside her, overwhelming her. She lay there for half an hour, before exhaustion lead to sleep.

**

* * *

**

Author's Notes:

_Well, there's the fifth chapter! It's a bit longer than my others have been. Well, not much I have to say about this one… Comments and Reviews are loved!_


	6. Training

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Training**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_Well, I hope everyone likes my story! Thanks for everyone who's read this far, hope you all keep reading! I've really appreciated all the feedback! Here's the sixth chapter! Sorry it's so late… I got a little busy_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

_

* * *

_

"Dannika? Dannika! Da-annika!" There was a pause. "DANNIKA!" Someone was shaking the girl's shoulder, a male's voice taking her from her dream. She groaned, her eyes fluttering open, blinking shut tight fagain as the light glared into her eyes. She mumbled something between a "what" and "go away". "C'mon, Lil Sis," Jake pleaded, sitting on the edge of his sister's bed, his hand resting soothingly on her shoulder. "You've got to get up and get ready for school." Dannika didn't move, but her eyes were open, squinted, but open. Her back was to her brother, and his voice was soft and soothing in her ear. She still felt the pain of the previous weekend weighing her down, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. But with Jake at her side, trying to get her up for school as he had done when they were younger, she didn't feel so alone. The boy was a small beacon of hope, a miniscule piece of her shattered world that she could still hold on to. "I know you're upset, and I know you're still mad at Dad," Jake continued, rubbing his sister's arm. "You have to continue to live your life, though. You have to let some of it go, move on just a little bit, Sis." He leaned forward, gazing down at Dannika's face. She moved to bury it in her pillow, but her brother had already seen her open eyes. "Haha," he laughed, half-heartedly, "I knew you were awake in there." He rested his chin on her shoulder, his hand still resting on her arm. "Come on. School will be good for you. You can talk to your friends, have a normal day."

Dannika lifted her head and gazed at her brother. Tears were running down her face, and her eyes were full of sorrow and worry, but they also held the gratitude she felt toward her brother. "You think so?" she whispered.

"Of course!" Jake said, as if it should be obvious. "Your friends will be glad to see you're still in one piece. It will be good for you to talk to them and hang out with them." The boy's green eyes were full of sympathy and warmth.

Dannika shook her head. She knew his words were genuine, that he wasn't just saying them to make her feel better, but that didn't help anything. "Tiff hates me," she mumbled.

"Tiffany doesn't hate you," Jake objected, but Dannika wouldn't hear of it.

"She does," Dannika insisted. "We got into a fight. When she was here to visit her dad. To visit Mayor Foley. We fought, and she left. She hates me." As she spoke, more tears streaked down her face. She had too many emotions to deal with, too many things circulating her head. She couldn't handle them and she couldn't make sense of them. All she knew was that she needed her brother. She needed his words of encouragement and his words of sympathy. She needed his presence to hold all of the confusion at bay.

And he did just that, even without knowing he was doing so. In response to Dannika's worrying statements, he just shook his head. "She doesn't hate you. Tiffany wouldn't hate you even if you caused the death of a family member. Of her family member. You two have been friends too long." He paused, but when Dannika showed no signs of feeling better, he added, "Don't worry. Tiffany doesn't hold grudges, and I know that, after just one sentence, you two will be laughing and hugging and crying, and doing anything else that girls do when they make up."

It sounded crazy, and didn't do much to raise Dannika's spirits, but she nodded anyway. "Ok," she whispered.

"Now, how 'bout school? Wanna get up?" Jake asked.

"Ok," Dannika nodded.

"Ok?"

"Ok."

"Come on, Dannie," Jake said, getting to his feet, and puling Dannika up with him. "Get dressed and everything, I'll have breakfast ready for you downstairs."

Dannika nodded and watched her brother go. As soon as the door was closed, she collapsed to her knees, her head in her hands, and cried, releasing the emotions storming inside her. She let herself five minutes before wiping away the tears and getting to her feet. Jake was smart, and if he said that school would help, then Dannika would believe him. She'd go to school, and hope for the best.

* * *

It took the girl a bit longer than usual to get ready for school that day. Just when she thought she had her emotions under control, something would pop up - her grandfather's death, her father's betrayal, her fight with Tiffany - that would bring the tears back to her eyes. She was just exiting the bathroom form applying her mascara, eye shadow, and blush, when she ran into Danielle.

"Hey, Dannika," her cousin said softly. "How are you?"

"Been better," the girl muttered, too laden with the events of the weekend to bother with being annoyed.

Danielle nodded. "I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you. I'll leave you to your school day, then." And she, indeed, left.

Dannika watched her go, a bit bewildered, then shook her head. She didn't particularly care, at the moment, what that was all about. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen to find her brother laying out a plate of pancakes. "Hey, Sis!" he said, as she sat herself down at the table. "Breakfast, as promised." He slid three large pancakes onto her plate, then turned and pulled out a pan of scrambled eggs from the oven. "Just keepin' them warm," he explained, scooping some of the eggs onto Dannika's plate next to the pancakes.

"Does Mom know about the eggs?" Dannika asked, picking up a fork.

Jake shrugged, scooping the rest of the eggs onto his own plate. "Does she have to?"

Normally, this type of exchange would be followed by a bit of laughter, but Dannika just wasn't in the mood. "Sorry," she muttered, forking a clump of the yellow protein. She put it to her lips and took a tentative bite, chewing slowly.

"So'kay," he said, sitting himself down and digging into his breakfast. "How is it?" he asked around a mouthful of pancake.

Dannika shrugged, poking at her eggs. "It's good," she said. She wasn't all that hungry and she didn't really want to eat anything either. However, she didn't want to worry her brother, so she shoveled another forkful into her mouth.

"Want some syrup?" Jake asked casually, scooting the bottle of maple syrup across the table.

"Thanks," the girl muttered, hesitantly picking up the bottle and squirting some of the sticky liquid onto her stack of pancakes. Setting down the bottle, she stared at her food a moment, before pushing her plate away. "Sorry, Jake, I'm just not hungry…"

Jake nodded. "It's ok, I understand." He put his fork down, and poured a glass of orange juice. He passed the glass to Dannika. "Drink this at least," he said. "Then we'll head out for the bus."

Dannika nodded and gulped down the juice. "Thanks, Jake," she murmured, heading out of the kitchen. She ran up to the bathroom and brushed her teeth quickly before retrieving her backpack from her bedroom. However, when she grabbed it, she was in for a surprise. There was a note pinned to the outer pocket. She pulled the pin out and looked over the note.

_Dannika,_

_Training has been postponed until after the funeral. Take that time to clear your head. I suggest you head down to that big creepy Jail House. I find that a good place to visit when you need to feel a bit better about your problems._

_- Danielle_

Dannika gritted her teeth, crumpling up the paper, and throwing it in her waist basket. She had no intention of visiting the Jail House after school. The place creeped her out and she tried to avoid it as much as possible. Grabbing her backpack, she ran down to the living room, meeting Jake there before heading out to wait for the bus.

* * *

As it was, the siblings were running just a tad bit late for the bus and barely made it in time. They had to run just to make it before the bus took off again.

"Running a bit late there, aren't we, Fentons?" the driver, Mr. Solb muttered as Jake and Dannika clambered aboard.

"Sorry, Mr. Solb," Jake said as he passed, gently pushing his sister along in front of him.

Dannika slid into a seat toward the back, next to Tiffany. Neither girl acknowledged the other for a few blocks.. Then, at the next stop, as Nick came and sat in his normal spot in the seat across the aisle from them, both started talking at once. Dannika said something along the lines of, "I'm so sorry! You were right about everything! I just didn't want to believe it, but my dad came, and he… He said it! Oh, Tiffany! I'm so sorry!" while Tiffany said something like, "Dannika, I'm sorry! I went too far that time! I shouldn't have said that about your dad, it wasn't right." However, they both stopped about half-way through and burst out laughing.

"Oh, Dannie, I'm so sorry!" Tiffany said, wrapping her arms around her friend. "I went too far."

Dannika shook her head, returning the hug. "No, Tiffany, I'm sorry! You were right! I should have listened."

Tiffany laughed, and pulled away from the hug. "Let's put this all behind us, shall we?" she suggested.

Dannika nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Nick stared at the two, his eyes darting between the girls. "What just happened?" he asked.

Dannika and Tiffany looked at Nick, and burst out laughing again. "Nothing," Dannika sighed, shaking her head.

Nick rolled his eyes at the two girls, muttering, "Woman…"

After a moment, Tiffany looked at her friend and asked, "So, how are you doing? You know…?"

Dannika turned her head away. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to think about it. Jake had said school would help her get her mind off it, but how was that supposed to happen when her friends kept bringing it up? Instead of answering right away, she stared down the aisle to the seats toward the front of the bus: little kid territory. The kindergarteners were jumping up and down in their seats excitedly, some tossing things around in some sort of game. The first and second graders were ducking under their seats or playing hand games. Dannika remembered being that young. It had been a time when she hadn't had much thought toward her powers. She had just thought she was like a super hero with a secret identity that she couldn't even tell her parents. It had been nothing but a game back then. She had had her grandfather then, running around, and listening to the stories he told. She had been close to her father, loving it whenever he returned home, and crying when he had to go away again. She had worn her hair in pigtails most of the time then, and hadn't really had a defined style. Nor had Tiffany. Tiffany's clothes had always been a bit big on her, as she always wanted to be bigger than she really was. They had had fun back then. It hadn't been as stressful. She didn't have to worry about what's happening tomorrow or how she's going to deal with a certain cousin of hers. She had just been Dannika.

Pulling herself back to the present, with Nick sitting to her right and Tiffany to her left, both watching her a bit worried, and sharing meaningful glances in that silent language one uses when one gets to know someone well. Dannika sighed, shaking her head. "I'm fine," she whispered. "It's done. I'm fine."

Neither Nick nor Tiffany said anything. The conversations of other students drifted to Dannika's ears in the silence, muddled up and incomprehensible. Finally, Tiffany said, "You know, it's alright to be upset. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm fine!" Dannika snapped, her eyes flashing green as she glared at her friend. They quickly returned to their icy blue, however, as guilt and regret coursed through the girl. Tiffany had only been trying to help. There was no need to get angry. "I'm sorry," she said, "but, really, I'm fine."

Tiffany nodded, too afraid to say more. A moment of silence followed this, and, in that moment, Dannika wished she could just take it back, redo the moment before so that she didn't snap. But what's done was done, there was no redoing it. She sighed, deciding to change the subject. "What about your little sister?" she asked, remembering the little piece of information Tiffany had let slip when she had first came to Fenton Works hoping to visit with her father.

This got Nick's attention. "What little sister?" he asked, looking between the two girls. "I never heard of no little sister!"

Tiffany laughed slightly, shaking her head. "She hasn't been born yet," she said simply. "My mom's three months pregnant, she won't be born for a while yet."

"And you know it's a girl?" Nick asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Girls get hunches," Tiffany explained. "And, normally, they're right."

Nick wasn't satisfied by this. "That still brings up the question, why didn't I hear about this?"

"You just did," Dannika offered, smiling teasingly at the boy.

Tiffany laughed, and Nick stuck his tongue out at the two girls. Dannika stuck hers out in return, adding, "Nah!" as a sound effect. It was amazing, how her friends could make her forget about her loss and laugh and be happy like she used to.

Nick shook his head and sat back in his seat. "I'm going to laugh when you're wrong," he sighed, stretching out his legs.

"When I'm wrong?" Tiffany asked, with mock shock. "How could you say such a thing? Little Stephanie is going to be the best little sister in the world!"

Nick laughed at that. "Stephanie? What kind of name is Stephanie? No, no. You're going to get Alex, the best little _brother_ in the world." he said.

"Stephanie, and little sister! I know it's going to be a girl." Tiffany said, matter-of-factly.

"Would you two stop it?" Dannika laughed. "You guys'll have your turn to argue about names when its your own kid!"

"Hey!" Tiffany objected as Nick rolled his eyes. She glanced at Nick. When she looked back at Dannika, her expression was one of disgust with an eyebrow cocked. "There's no way I'm getting together with _him_!"

Dannika smiled, shrugging. At that moment, the bus pulled to a stop and everyone stood to get off. "We'll see," she said, simply, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder and following her friends off the bus.

* * *

School wasn't the best place to run away from her problems. Word had gotten around about the attack on Fenton Works and Jack Fenton's death. Dannika's teachers showered her with "I'm so sorry"'s and "No rush to get your homework in"'s. Honestly, she'd rather them be giving her a two-day deadline than their sympathy. It would've made things feel a bit more normal at least… would've helped her forget… "It's just my grandfather," the girl muttered, snatching the papers from Mrs. Lusipher, her Algebra II teacher. She pretended not to notice her classmates' unconcealed glances her way, and the way they whispered to each other when she passed down. She held her head high, ignoring the "Hey, Dannika!"'s when someone tried to get her attention, and speeding up when they gave chase. It wasn't until sixth period, PE, that someone managed to catch up to her to talk.

The class was doing a five minute run around the gym floor. Dannika had her headphones in, listening to her iPod, and so didn't hear him approaching.

"Dannika, hi," he said, tapping her shoulder as he pulled in beside the girl.

Dannika jumped, tearing an ear-piece out of her left ear. Running beside her was Wulfie. "Oh, eh, hi," she mumbled, having not expected the boy - especially not _this_ boy - to approach her.

"Doing you are how? Grandfather your about heard I." he said, not stopping a beat.

Dannika thought about that a moment. "Eh, what?" she asked, hoping he would give up. Instead, he pulled out a pen and slip of paper and handed it to her. Reluctantly, hesitantly, she took the pen and paper from him.

"Doing… you… are… how?" Wulfie said, slowly, allowing her time to write his words down. "Grandfather… your… about… heard… I."

Dannika finished writing everything down, then read it out. "I heard about your grandfather. How are you doing?" She pursed her lips and huffed, not wanting to answer this. It was precisely this question that she had been avoiding all day, but, finally, it had caught up with her. "I'm fine," she muttered, looking away from the boy. He started to say more, but she cut him short. "Look, I don't want to talk about it, ok? Why can't everyone just leave me alone?" And she ran on ahead of him.

Through out the rest of class, Dannika did everything she could to keep some distance between her and Wulf. However, as the day wore one, she began to feel guilty for snapping at him. After seventh period, she walked slowly down the halls, searching for him. She saw him, a ways in front of her, and rushed to catch up. "Wulfie!" she called. "Wulfie! Hey! Wait up! Wulfie! George!" She finally yelled, using the boy's name. It felt strange on her tongue, but it brought the boy to a stop.

"Remember," he growled, glaring into Dannika's eyes, "talk to want not did you. What?"

Dannika stared at him a moment, before shaking her head, deciding it was better not to ask. "Look, Wulfie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. You were just trying to help… I over reacted… I've just been a bit stressed, and the attack didn't help… at all, and I just don't want to talk about it… But it wasn't your fault. I should have snapped at you. And I'm sorry." She gazed up at him, hoping, praying, that he would forgive her. She didn't have many friends, and she couldn't afford to loose the ones she had, even if they weren't close.

Wulfie studied her a moment, before finally nodding. "To need when talk to remember just. It hide to need no, upset are you. It about worry not do. Fine is it." Then he walked off.

Dannika didn't quite catch all of that, but she did catch the last bit. He forgave her. Everything was fine again. Mind at rest, Dannika continued down the hall to her locker before boarding the bus and going home.

* * *

Jake was out with his friends, which meant Dannika had the house to herself… with Danielle. Dannika ran straight up to her room, and threw her backpack on the floor next to her bed. She stood in her room a moment, gazing around at the blue walls covered in corkboards and pictures of all sorts. This was what she had called home, what she still called home. Why did it feel so different? Silently, Dannika walked out of her room and into her grandparent's room. She paused in the doorway, hand on the frame, peering into the empty room. The king-sized bed was neatly made and looked as if no one had ever laid in it. Two tall dressers stood, side by side, at the far wall, the drawers of one neatly closed, probably with neatly folded clothes inside. The other had many drawers hanging open, Jack's clothes spilling out of it. If the rest of the room weren't so neat, Dannika wouldn't be able to tell that anyone was missing.

Tears rising to her eyes, Dannika moved into the room, crawled onto the bed, and curled up in the middle. She pulled the covers up over herself, settling her head between the two pillows. One smelled of Jack, the other of Maddie. She kept her face toward Jack's pillow, inhaling his scent, wanting to remember it, wanting to be able to pretend that he were still here. But, instead of comfort, the reminder of her grandfather only brought the tears spilling out of Dannika's eyes and pooling onto the pillows, reminding her that he was gone, that she'd never see him again. And it was all Danny's fault. If her father had been there Jack wouldn't have died! If Danny had been there to help nothing bad would have happened! _You could have helped,_ a voice in the back of her head said. _Shut up! _she retorted, burying her face deeper into the pillow. _You could have saved him, _the voice persisted. _If only your pride hadn't gotten in the way. If only you had learned to fight earlier._ Dannika shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes. _No! It was Dad's fault! There was nothing I could do! It was all him!_ But, even as she thought it, she knew she was wrong. She could have helped. She could have saved him, if only she had been working on her fighting skills all of these years instead of working on getting rid of her powers. If only, if only, if only.

Dannika lay on the bed for hours, before Danielle's voice drifted to her ears from the living room. "Dannika! Are you hungry? I made dinner!" There was a pause, and then, "Sam won't be home for a while! She and Maddie are looking at funeral arrangements!" Another pause. "Dannika! Are you alright? Dannika!" But she didn't move. Dannika just lay there, listening as Danielle began to make her way up the ladder and down the hall, calling out for the girl. Finally, her cousin made her way to Jack and Maddie's room, to Dannika. "Oh, Dannika!" Danielle gasped, rushing to the girl's side. She sat on the bed next to Dannika, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Dannika shook her head, pushing herself into a sitting position and wiping away the tears from her face. She tried to put on a brave face, tried to be strong, but when she looked at Danielle, all she saw was sincere concern, and she burst out into tears once more. Danielle put her arm around the ghost-girl, pulling her close. "Why'd he have to die?" Dannika sobbed, accepting Danielle's comfort. "Why'd he have to leave us? I mean, I wasn't close to him or anything, but… But I could have been! I wish I had spent more time with him.."

"We all wish that, Dannie," Danielle whispered, stroking Dannika's hair. "We all wish we could have done more for those who've passed. But we can't. So don't try to make it happen. Just be grateful for the time you did spend with him."

Dannika shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes. "Why couldn't he have been here? He could have stopped it! He could have saved Grandpa…" She was talking about her father, but they were empty words. She wasn't sure she still blamed him for her grandfather's death anymore, but she did blame him for not being there for the rest of the town.

Danielle didn't say anything, just sat there, holding Dannika as the girl cried. Finally, she spoke, "I'm sorry, Dannika. I wish there was more I could have done. That shot was wild, and was intended for me. Instead of blocking it, like I should have done, I dodged… Dannika, if you want to blame anyone for Jack's death, blame me. If I had tried to block that shot, maybe it wouldn't have hit him…" She trailed off, her words hanging in the air. Dannika didn't speak, didn't move. The tears had stopped streaming from her eyes, and the trails were drying on her cheeks. Still, she did not move. Her mind was reeling with this new information. Here it was, the perfect reason to hate Danielle all the more for what she had cause this family. But, Dannika didn't want to hate her. Here she was, a woman who barely knew her, holding her and comforting her over a death that was bound to come eventually, admitting that it was her fault. All Danielle did was help Dannika. It was all her cousin had ever wanted to do, was help.

Dannika looked up at Danielle, searching those bright, ice-blue eyes. They looked so much like her father's… So much like her own… "Danielle?" she whispered.

"Yes?" the half-ghost answered.

Dannika hesitated, not sure if she really wanted to do this. "Danielle," she started again. "Danielle, do you think, maybe, we could start training… You know? What we agreed before…" Her voice cracked, and she said no more, but Danielle understood.

"You mean start now?" she asked.

Dannika thought a moment. "Maybe tomorrow?"

Danielle nodded. "Are you sure? We can start tomorrow if you want, or we could wait until after the funeral, like I suggested."

Dannika shook her head. "I think… I think it'd be better if I knew how to use my powers… Even if I don't keep them. Just in case… Well, in case it happens again. Maybe I could help…"

Danielle smiled down at Dannika. "Of course. I think that's a great idea. We'll start tomorrow, then." Dannika nodded. "Do you want me to stay up here with you, or do you want me to leave?" Danielle asked. "Either is fine, I just don't want to leave you alone when you might… Well, when you're distraught."

Dannika tried a laugh, but it felt forced, wrong. "I'll be fine," she assured the woman. "Thanks, Danielle."

"You're welcome sweetheart," Danielle said, before getting up and walking out. She pause at the door, and turned. "If you need anything, Dannika, just holler."

The young Fenton nodded, smiling slightly. "Thanks," she whispered as Danielle left, heading down the hall and into the living room. As Dannika laid back down on the bed, the extent of what she had just done fell upon her, a crushing weight, flattening her to the bed. Tomorrow she would start training. Tomorrow… There was no turning back. Hell would begin on schedule, not delayed as she had thought that morning. "What have I done?" she whispered.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_Well, not the most exciting chapter in the world…Mainly just Dannika's rebound from the death and all… Still, hope everyone likes it! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon! _


	7. White Lies

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**White Lies**_

**Author's Introduction:**

_I am so so so so so so so so so sooooo sorry for how long it took to get this up. I got busy, and, I'll admit, I did forget about it for a while there… I had a lot of other things on my mind, but I'll be sure to update more frequently! Again, really sorry!_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own any of the Danny Phantom characters, or references to the show. I think that's it…_

* * *

A green blast of ectoplasm shot toward Dannika who just barely was able to dodge out of the way. The blast crashed into the wall, scorching it where Dannika had been standing just moments before.

"Use your powers!" Danielle yelled, growing a snowball in her hands. "I want to see you intangible!"

"I already know how to do that!" Dannika growled, flying out of the way as the snowball flew toward her. When Dannika had agreed to training with her cousin, she hadn't been expecting it to be so… extreme.

"Prove it to me, Dannika!" Danielle yelled, throwing three more ectoplasmic blasts at the girl. "I want to see that you can use these powers on the spot with only a split second to think!"

Silently cursing Danielle, Dannika kicked off a cabinet, and somersaulted through the air, eyes shut tight. With her arms wrapped around her knees, she forced intangibility upon herself. Danielle shot a fourth blast, unknown to Dannika, who held her eyes shut tight. Just as the girl released the intangibility, the blast hit her, sending her spiraling into a wall. She hit it hard, her side slamming into the concrete. In later days, the girl would swear she heard her ribs crack. For now, the room spun around her as she slid to the floor. Her muscles ached, not only from the impact but from the constant movement of dodging, the effort of transformation and the use of her powers.

She lay in a heap, curled into a ball, shuddering with her exhaustion. Danielle stood over her, not a trace of empathy in her expression. Instead, dull disappointment crept along her frown, hands on hips. "Never, never, drop your guard," she said, holding her hand out.

"Harsh," Dannika muttered, forcing her own hand out and into Danielle's. The elder woman pulled the teen to her feet. Once Dannika was steady, Danielle patted her back, saying, "We'll practice more after school," as she walked out, up the stairs and to the room beyond.

Dannika shook her head, rubbing her sore shoulder. Her cousin had excused her from the first half of school so they could get a head-start on training. As far as the school knew, grievance had exhausted her and she needed some time at home to relax and gather herself before going into class and trying to comprehend everything the teachers told her.

* * *

Danielle dropped Dannika off at the front of the school before driving away, back to Fenton Works. Dannika watched the car disappear down the street, then turned toward the school. She didn't immediately rush into the building. Instead, she stood in the courtyard, clutching her backpack in her hands. Everyone would be at lunch right around now… Nick and Tiffany would be sitting at their regular table, maybe Wulfie was sitting with them. What would they say when she walked in? Would they be mad? Frustrated? Worried? Happy, maybe? Would they forgive her for the way she'd been acting the previous day? So many thoughts swirled about her head, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to walk through that door… Her backpack slid from her shoulder and dropped to the ground, a few of her notebooks bouncing out as the zipper came undone. Dannika's eyes snapped to the bag, and her gaze held there. Something about the paper sticking out at odd angles like that… As if purposefully stuck out to draw the attention… Why did it look so familiar? Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized it, trying to figure it out… Then it hit her. Like a comet, she grabbed up her bag, shoving the papers and notebooks back inside, and dashed down the street, heading back to the house in which she had just came from. Back to Fenton Works.

* * *

She didn't want to alert Danielle to her return. Though they were on fairly good terms now, she still wasn't quite comfortable letting her cousin know she was about to do the very thing the older woman had told her to do the previous day. She was going to the jailhouse, but first, she had to grab a few things from her room. Before any of that, she wanted to take another look at that note. She had to double check that it hadn't been in her imagination, that her anger, her grief, hadn't lead her to believe there was something that just might help her. How the jailhouse had anything to do with her training or even her grandfather's death, she didn't know. But why else would Danielle have left her that message? Why else would it be so important for her to go there? And she had a feeling that it was indeed important.

She didn't enter the house through the door. Instead, she flew right through her closed window into her room. She didn't step on the ground, but hovered in the air, afraid that the floorboard would creak at just the wrong moment and signal off her presence. She knew where the note was, or, she hoped she did. It was such a silly thing, taking out the trash, and the normal routine hadn't been very… normal in the past few days. Chores hadn't been getting done, so why would anyone have taken out the trash? _Unless Danielle did…_ Panic coursed through her veins. That would be just like her cousin. The woman had been the only one to attain a somewhat normal routine, even though her presence was anything but.

In a rush, Dannika dove for her waste bin, tearing through its nearly non-existent contents. A sigh of relief escaped her trembling lips as her hand folded around the crumpled paper. No. No one had taken the garbage out… She began to straighten, but froze. There was a slight thumping sound, not natural for this house, but it'd been present enough for her to recognize its source. Someone was coming up the ladder. Not just any someone. The only other someone in the house.

Dannika didn't even have time to think, just to act. She dove for her closet, completely forgetting her ability to become invisible to all eyes. Even flight had been abandoned in her desperate attempt to flee. As she crouched in the back of the crowded space, hidden by clothes she'd all but forgotten about, the girl held her breathe. Danielle was in the room in a matter of moments. She didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. In her left hand, she held a large, black garbage bag, using her right hand to pick up little things around the room and toss some crumpled papers and old wrappers into the bag. She paused at the bedside, hunched over, her fingers curled around a… a photo. Dannika nearly gasped when she realized what her cousin was holding. It was the photo of her and her father, the one she'd found hidden on her corkboard all those nights ago. Slowly, Danielle straightened, staring at the picture clutched in her hand. Almost absentmindedly she turned and pinned it back to the board, poking the pin in precisely the same spot it had originally pierced the paper. Then she was off to the waste bin, dumping it into the bag. With a final, fleeting glance around the room, she was gone.

Dannika burst from the closet, hovering just a few feet from her hiding place. She was reluctant to move, her gaze held to the picture Danielle had returned to its rightful place on her wall. Again, she was overcome with a sense of betrayal. Not her father's betrayal, but something else. She couldn't quite place it, but it was almost as if a small part of her blamed some external force for tearing her father away from her - for ruining such a relationship as they had once had. Her fists clenched together, almost of their own accord. It was then that the crackling sound of crunching paper brought her attention back to the task at hand. Her hands tore at the note, unfolding the paper in a matter of moments. Her eyes scanned the words, greedily looking for some hidden message she was missing. It couldn't be so simple as she just wanted her to get her mind off of things… No, that couldn't be it! But it seemed the only way to find out was to go down there for herself.

She left her backpack in the closet where she'd dropped it. The excess luggage was really unnecessary. Even the note she left behind, storing it in one of the drawers of her desk. She didn't want to bring anything that she might accidentally leave behind. As Danielle had done, Dannika took one last look around her room before leaving. She wasn't sure why, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that told her she was about to do something rather dangerous - she might not see that room again, at least, not the same way she saw it now.

* * *

She flew softly and swiftly through the air. She knew where the jailhouse was. Knew how to get there from Fenton Works. It was her fear of the place that gave her the knowledge of where to go. It was a path she rarely took, only if circumstances demanded she did. Her progress was good, and she pushed her limits, flying as fast as she could. It didn't take long at all for her to reach the haunting building. _Haunting,_ she scoffed silently as she approached, _nothing's more haunted than my family…_

She snuck into the jailhouse the same way she had snuck into her room, the only difference being this time she went through a wall instead of a window. She knew from stories told by her parents that this had once been the headquarters for the guys in white. She knew they had since moved their location, but, even so, she proceeded through the corridors with caution. She jumped at the smallest sounds and was constantly reminding herself that she could not be seen. No one knew she was here. Such reminders rarely calmed her, however. She was about to give up, to decide this had all been nothing but a big joke, when she heard the sound of voices carrying through the next corridor, followed by the even _thump thump thump_ of footsteps. Two sets. They made an irregular beat: _thu-thump thu-thump thu-thump._ At first, the girl froze. Who would be wandering around an abandoned jailhouse in broad daylight? _Well… I am,_ she realized. She had an urge run. To fly home, grab her things, and return to school, but curiosity got the best of her. Slowly, she lowered herself toward the floor, floating slowly toward the sound of the voices. Soon, they came within hearing.

"… not ready," someone was saying. The voice was low, gruff - a male.

"If Phantom returns to his old habits -" this one was an octave higher - female.

"It won't come to that," the male protested.

"What if it does? The attack on his family could have been just enough to push him over the edge."

"But it didn't! He asked for a few weeks leave to mourn with his family and prepare for the funeral. He'll be back after that." Dannika could see them now. The male was a foot taller than the female, but seemed to cower in her presence. His hair was dark, his eyes hidden behind darker shades. The female had long, fiery red hair that almost seemed to glow in the dark corridor. She, also, wore shades, put hers were slid down on her nose, revealing dazzling green eyes burning with a fury Dannika had never seen on a human before. Both wore white. This observation sent chills down the girl's spine.

"Don't take him for granted, Walker. He's a family man at heart, and he'll always be that way." She paused, as if waiting for a response, but the man, Walker, remained silent. "You're becoming soft. Is it the boy you worry for? He's been trained for this. _You_ offered him to us." The man didn't reply. His jaw was set firmly, and he didn't move, even when the woman began to walk on down the corridor. She paused a ways down, calling back to the man, "I expect a full report on our progress in a week, Walker. If anything changes in Phantom's behavior…"

"He'll return to work, just as he promised," Walker growled. "I'll so to that."

The woman began walking again, calling over her shoulder, "One, week, Walker! Full report!"

Dannika didn't follow the woman, and the Walker didn't seem in any great hurry to get anywhere. The two just stared after the redhead. She seemed to be leaving, one of the reasons Dannika didn't follow. But, mainly, she was just scared. She didn't remember any stories that had a female Guy In White in it. That was the point, wasn't it? It was _Guys_ In White. They were supposed to be all male…

Beside her, Walker stirred. He didn't make much noise for his bulkish size. He turned, his feet ruffling softly on the dusty floor, and began walking. Dannika hesitated, shooting a glance down the way the woman had went. Certain she was gone, the girl spun herself around and followed the man.

* * *

Walker lead her down so many twists and turns, Dannika began to wonder if he even knew where he was going. Finally, just when Dannika was going to give up and go follow the girl, the man turned into a room. He left the door open, for that, Dannika was grateful. She had a feeling that if she had tried to phase through this one she would have set off alarms, though she had no idea what gave her that idea. The room was huge! She guessed it must have been the equivalent of the entire first floor of Fenton Works. There were computers, cages, and weapons of all sorts. And the room was far from vacant of people. More Guys In White were settled around the room, doing various tasks. As Dannika took inventory, she found she wasn't the only ghost in here either. The difference was, the other ghosts were trapped in the cages. At first, Dannika didn't understand what held the ghosts within the bars. Then, one of the men inserted a chip to a slot on the bottom of a cage. A quick _beep_ and then the box was gone. It wasn't possible… Only a ghost… And then it hit her. The cages made use of the ghosts' energy. Used it like a battery. The poor things were drained as soon as they entered the devices, unable to even fight free.

"How's his training coming?" Dannika jumped at Walker's voice. While she had been distracted, taking note of everything in the room, the man had moved to a desk in the center. His voice held an authority in which it had lacked speaking with the woman. _What's with this guy? Normally men think they're boss…_ Dannika wondered, floating to Walker's side.

"He's handling the fights well. Hasn't lost one yet," one of the men at the computers reported.

"Glingly, what level is he on?" Walker turned to the man who had put the chip in the cage.

"Twenty-two," Glingly reported. The man at the computers gave him a nod and Glingly inserted another chip into another cage. "Twenty-three, now."

Walker nodded. He seemed to be in some sort of business mode speaking with these men. "What's his time, Smith? Best, worst and last."

The man at the computers, Smith, began typing away, bringing up reports. "Best is two minutes. Worst is half an hour. That one nearly killed him… His last… That one was the best, two minutes."

Another nod, this time thoughtful. "Bump him up to Forty-seven, and give him two," Walker instructed Glingly.

The man with the chips hesitated. "That could kill him," he objected.

"I DON'T CARE!" Walker roared, bringing his fist down on the desk. His eyes, burning with rage, scanned over the faces of the men staring at him, horrorstruck. "He goes into action in two weeks. TWO. WEEKS. Our job is to make sure he's prepared. He is not going to be prepared if WE. DO. NOT. BUMP. UP. THE LEVEL. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"YES SIR!" the men all chorused at once.

"GOOD! NOW GET BACK TO WORK!"

Glingly inserted another chip, Smith went back to the computers, as did the rest of the men go back to whatever it was they had been doing. Dannika's eyes wandered to Walker, wide with fear of this men who had amused her only moments before. It was amazing how weary he looked now. With one hand, the man rubbed at his eyes, sliding into the chair behind the desk. His other hand rested lightly on the desktop. Dropping the hand that had been rubbing at his eyes, he picked up a picture, gazing at it with sad eyes. "He will never be ready…" the man muttered under his breath, replacing the picture on the table. At that moment, the phone rang. "Hello?" It hadn't taken him a second to answer. "Yes." Dannika floated closer, but stopped herself. People could sense her presence if she got too close. That was how Nick had found out… "Yes." She desperately wished she knew what was being said on the other end. "Understood." The phone was back on the receiver. Dannika let out a sigh, but too soon. Walker stood, and all eyes were on him again. "ATTENTION!" He bellowed, unnecessarily. "WE HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO SEND OUT A TEST! RELEASE NINE GHOSTS! FOUR TO FRANCE. TWO TO CANADA." - this order got him a couple funny looks - "AND TWO TO AMITY PARK." He paused, looking each man in the eye. "HENDERSON! SEND PHANTOM AN INVETATION TO TAKE CARE OF THE THOSE IN FRANCE. Johnson wants to make sure of his loyalty to us, even on leave."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_There it is! Hehe… Oh, Dannika's life just gets worse and worse..._

_Comments and reviews are loved!_


	8. Growing Up and Letting Go

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Growing Up and Letting Go**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Words cannot express how sorry I am that it took me this long to get the next chapter up! So much started happening, and so many little inconveniences… I am REALLY sorry! But, for those of you still following this fanfiction and still reading, I really do appreciate it! I promise I'll be better about getting chapters up and getting this story rolling! I really, truly and sorry!_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickolodian_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

It was them! It was all their fault! They were the reason Danny had disappeared from Amity Park! They were the reason Jack died! They were the reason Dannika had lost such a wonderful relationship with her father! The girl flew through the streets, tumbling into Fenton Works. How could this happen? How could they trick him like that? And what was this test? What was it all for? Dannika hit the floor running, heading straight for the basement where she knew Danielle would be. Sure enough, the woman was down there, hunched over a desk with papers spread out before her.

"What was that?" Dannika demanded, storming up behind the woman. Her fear, frustration, and confusion were steaming off her, causing her eyes to flash green when she spoke.

Danielle sighed, unfazed by the teen's behavior and scribbling something onto a piece of paper. "You'll have to be a little more specific. If you're still fuming about today's training, we can always – "

"This isn't about training!" the girl cut her off. "The Jail House. The Guys in White! What was all that?"

Danielle rubbed her eyes, resting her elbows on the desk. "_That_ was the truth," she stated, matter-of-factly.

Dannika shook her head furiously. "What are they doing? Why do they keep sending Dad away? What do they want?" The questions tumbled from the girl's lips. Everything she was feeling toward everyone she'd come in contact with was melding together into a raging storm directed at her cousin. She could hardly think, everything just rolled off her tongue without her consent, yet she didn't care. She made no attempt to stop the flow of emotions, did nothing to try and stem the stream of words. She didn't care enough to.

"If you slow down long enough to _think_, you'll realize you already know the answers." Danielle lifted her head to look at the young girl, but Dannika merely stared back, wasting no brain power on the offer. Danielle stood and walked to a wall lined with weapons. "They're trying to ruin Danny's reputation and take over ghost fighting. They keep sending Danny away so that his reputation d_oes_ get ruined." She paused, picking up a weapon that resembled a pistol and holding it out at arm's length, aiming at a non-existant enemy. "As for what they want – " the pistol was fired and a green blast scorched the wall. "They want to be the renowned ghost hunters they once were. In order for that to happen, Danny has to be out of the picture, but they don't want to just destroy him. They want to dissect him."

Dannika's upper lip twitched at the very thought. She was disgusted. How could someone even consider dissecting another human being? "They said they'd stop all that!" the girl protested.

"It doesn't matter." Danielle replaced the pistol on the wall and turned to face the teen. "Danny is only protected so long as the public supports him. Once he loses public support, the only ones standing in their way is us – his family. And don't think they won't just turn a blind eye on all of us. We'll be taken into custody. You'll be revealed as yet another halfa. None of us are safe once the public drops its support."

"No…" Dannika breathed. She didn't want to believe it, but she had seen it! She knew it was true! "How long have you known about this?" she demanded, turning on her cousin.

"About five years," Danielle admitted. "But it's my theory that this has been their plan from the beginning. They just needed to get Danny under their employment and – "

"Why didn't you do something before?" Dannika's eyes flashed green as her anger toward the woman rose. "Does Dad even know what they're doing? Does he even see what's happening? Do_ they_ realize what they're doing to our family?" Tears were streaming from Dannika's eyes. Every emotion she had been trying to deny was bubbling up, consuming her. The grieving she'd pushed aside. The anger at her father. Anger at Danielle. Anger at the Guys in White. Anger at herself. It all came to, relieving itself in the rain pouring from her eyes.

Danielle rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the girl and pulling her close."Shh… It's going to be alright, Dannika. I've been doing all I can to keep Amity Park safe in your father's absence. To delay the public from turning on him. But there's only so much I can do." Dannika sobbed into the woman, clinging to her as she had only clung to her mother before. "Dannika," Danielle said gently. "I need your help. I need you to help me save your father. I'm not strong enough to stand in his place, and far too many people know about me."

Dannika pulled away, her tear-stained face turning to Danielle. The release of hormones was allowing her to think a little more clearly. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to be Danny Phantom. Be Danny Phantom for Amity Park."

Before, Dannika would have jerked away at this statement, but not today. She understood now. She understood why Danielle had come to Fenton Works. She probably hadn't thought she'd find another Phantom. She probably thought she'd just get Sam and Tucker, maybe Valerie out helping her. The girl took a few tentative steps back, considering her options. "I probably wasn't your first choice, was I?"

Danielle shook her head. "No, but it's best that we don't worry anyone else. If we can keep this between the two of us – "

"What about Nick and Tiff? They'll realize something's up. They know… About me."

Danielle nodded her consent. "Alright, but no one else. With all that's happened, this is the last thing the family needs to be concerned with." Dannika nodded, slumping into a chair. It was a lot to take in. A lot to cope with, but she had to manage. "So, do we have an agreement?" Again, Dannika nodded, her gaze fixated on the floor. _How am I going to pull this off?_ she wondered. "Good, then first thing's first. We need to get you looking the part. I understand when you Go Ghost, you're clothes remain the same."

Another nod. "That's right."

"We'll have to fix that." Danielle turned to the desk, ruffling through some papers. "I was really hoping I'd get you on board with this, so I'd started making plans… Ah! Here it is!" She tore a sheet of paper from the pile and spun around to the weapon's vault. "Now, if my theory is right, we should be able to genetically alter your ghostly half, so that when you Go Ghost, you're outfit will change, just like mine and Danny's do." As she spoke, she disappeared into the vault, rummaging through old boxes. She reemerged from the vault holding what appeared to be a price scanner in one hand and Danny's old jumper in the other.

Dannika watched the woman skeptically. "And just what, exactly, is your theory?"

"I'm going to have you Go Ghost and put the jumper on, and then I'll zap you with this gun. It's the only one I found that runs on Ecto-energy…" Danielle mused, flipping the gun over and looking at distastefully. "Wouldn't be my first choice…"

"Yeah," Dannika laughed, sliding out of the chair and taking a step back. "Mine either…" She looked at the jumpsuit, then to the gun, and back to at the jumpsuit. "Could we try something else first?"

Danielle shrugged. "Couldn't hurt. What do you have in mind?" Dannika held out her hands, motioning toward the jumper. Danielle tossed the suit to her and watched as a ring of light appeared around the teen's waist, transforming her from girl to ghost. The teenager silently slipped the suit on, zipping it up to her chin. "What are you planning?" Danielle mused, watching with mild curiosity. Dannika tugged and twisted the suit until it fit comfortably, then returned to her human form. Her hair flowed back to its dark hue, her eyes reverted to blue, and the jumper rippled into her jean skirt and T-shirt. "Well, that worked…" Danielle muttered. "I guess I won't be able to try this after all…" she added, a little sad. She tossed the gun back into the vault and approached Dannika. "What gave you the idea to do that? And… What exactly did you do?"

Dannika shrugged, shifting between ghost and girl. "Dad's removed his suit before… He even got a new one after he out grew the jumpsuit. So I figured if I just put it on when I was Phantom, it would stay on for Phantom. Since it wasn't on for Fenton, it's still not on for Fenton. I figure it's something to do with the powers or something…" The girl shrugged again, watching as the ring appeared around her waist one last time, vanishing the jump suit and returning her to a human teenager. "Whatever it is… It works."

"Dannika!" the call came from above, trailing down the stairs. "You home, li'l sis?"

"Jake…" the girl groaned. "I forgot! He would have noticed I wasn't at school…"

Danielle placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, patting her gently. "You better go talk to him. I'll give the school a call and excuse you."

* * *

Jake was in the living room shuffling around under the ladder. "Dannie! I know you're home! Would you come out already?" he hollered at the second floor.

"I'm right here, Jake!" Dannika muttered, stepping into the room behind her brother. "No need to shout!" Jake spun around, the murky green depths of his eyes boring into his sister's with the disappointment and betrayal that was sure to be unleashed on her at any second. Dannika quickly lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender before the boy could say another word. "Look, I'm sorry! I should have gone to school, I know! And I was going to! But then…" What? She couldn't possibly tell her brother she had gone to the old jail house in search for something that he surely wasn't going to believe was there. And how would she explain how she followed those people without being caught? He would never believe it… He'd assume it's just some sort of story she made up, or a dream she swore had been real – it wouldn't be the first time he'd accused her of that. "I went home…" she muttered, turning away from him. It wasn't completely a lie. She did go home. Twice. But it still felt like a lie, and she hated lying to him – this wonderful boy who had done nothing but look out for her and take care of her ever since he joined their family. The most she'd done was lie to cover up the fact that she had ghost powers, just like Danny Phantom.

Jake laid his hand on Dannika's shoulder, turning her so she faced him once more. Icy-blue eyes bore into deep green, the first begging understanding and forgiving from the later. The boy sighed, shaking his head and sending his hair tumbling this way in that in fiery waves. "You don't have to tell me everything," he muttered. "I'm your brother, not you're parent. But I do wish you'd trust me enough to tell me when you're planning something."

Dannika's gaze shifted away for a moment and she bit her bottom lip. She wanted to tell him. Wanted him to know the truth about her! About just how freaky this freak show of a family was. But she couldn't. He'd never believe her… Just like when she was five-years-old – the first time she tried to tell him her great secret. She could still his reply, clear as though he'd only just spoken it moments ago. _"You're dreaming, Dannika. I don't have time for your games." _She'd been so furious with him, shouting back, _"I'm NOT dreaming! I'm telling the truth! I flew! I can fly! Just like Daddy and Peter Pan!"_ He had only shook his head at her, repeating that she was only dreaming. Nothing more. He'd walked away before she could prove what she said.

The girl decided to play it safe. How things were going right now, no one else needed to know about her powers anyways. She forced a smile on her face and turned back to her brother. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I'll let you know when I run off next time. I promise."

Jake smiled warmly at her, his gaze softening. "Just let me know when something's bother you," he told her. "You never know, I might be able to help."

Dannika's smile widened and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered.

Jake pulled her close to him, squeezing her gently; but before he could say anything, the doorbell rang. The boy pulled away from his sister, his gaze now fixated on the door. "Who could that be…" he mused, stepping around the girl. Dannika watched him, her eyes darting between him and the door. Her mind was racing to try and identify their guest. It wasn't an insistent knocking, so that ruled out Tiffany. It was a knocking of any sort… Just the doorbell. That ruled out nearly all her and Jake's friends. Tucker would still be held up at the office, and he didn't knock anyways. In fact. Hardly anyone knocked… most people just came right in…

Dannika's eyes followed Jake's progress as he approached the door and opened it to…

"Jakey!" The high-pitched, overjoyed, a bit dramatic cry belonged to a graying woman sporting a bright pink, floral dress. She threw her arms around the boy, pulling him into a tight hug and rocking him this way and that. "We came to save you, my boy! And you, too, little miss!" Her dull, leaf-green eyes met Dannika's. The girl shrunk away from the gaze. Those eyes… They reminded her of a wolf staring down its prey.

"H-hey, Grandma Manson. Grandpa Manson," the girl muttered, taking a step back. "D-does Mom know you guys were coming over?"

A tall, lanky blonde man stepped into the house from behind the woman, a bright smile plastered onto his face. "Well, of course we gave her a call! What kind of people would we be to not call before we came over and picked up the kids?"

"Picked up?" Jake growled, squirming free of his grandmother's grip. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Pamela Manson mused, smiling at her husband as the man stepped to her side, draping his arm over her shoulders. "Jeremy and I have decided that this is no longer a safe environment for the two fo you."

"So we've decided to take you away to live with us!" Jeremy Manson broke in. "To a safer living environment!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_Well, there it is! I finally got the next chapter done!_

_Again, I'm REALLY sorry for the long wait! I'll be better about getting chapters up and getting this show on the road now! This story is starting to take on a bit more of a twist than originally intended, but while I was getting everything sorted out again, I got some ideas… Hope you guys like this! And I really appreciate you guys sticking through all this with me!_

_As always, comments and reviews are loved!_


	9. All That's Left To Lose

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**All That's Left To Lose**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Chapter Nine! Here we go!_

_In case you guys are wondering, I called Mr. and Mrs. Manson Pamela and Jeremy because in the credits they are named as such. That way I don't always have to say "Mr. Manson" "Her/his/their grandfather/grandmother" or "Mrs. Manson". Gives a little more of a personal feel to it, I think. Makes them seem more like real characters since all the others have first names, too._

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

Dannika sat on her bed, staring at the empty suitcase laying on her floor. Below, she could hear the numerous shouts from Danielle and her grandparents. "You can't just come by willy-nilly and take them away!" "We're their grandparents, of course we can!" "They have _PARENTS_! Parents that are alive and well! They don't need anyone coming by and taking them away!" "Who are you to speak in Samantha's stead? A cousin who never showed her face before now?" A door slammed shut and another voice joined the three below. "What do you think you're doing?" It was her mother, home from work. Danielle had called not long after she'd saved Dannika and Jake from leaving immediately. The siblings had been sent to their rooms to "wait". The Mansons had encouraged them to start packing. They said their leave was inevitable. "We're taking the kids to a safer place! It is clear that you are unable to take care of them as a single mother!" "I am _NOT_ a _SINGLE _mother! Danny is still alive and we're still happily married!" "But where is he, Samantha? The boy is never around!" Dannika rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms around her knees. _It's all falling apart…_ she silently cried. _Just when everything was going to get better… Just when I finally decide to grow up… It all falls apart…_ A tear slid past her eyes, rolling down her cheek and onto her sheets.

Just then, someone entered her room. Dannika didn't bother with seeing who it was. She didn't really care. "Hey, Sis," came the familiar, comforting voice. "Not packing either, huh?"

Dannika shook her head, wiping away the remnants of her tear. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't care what they say or do, I'm not going with them!" She rolled back up onto her butt, searching her brother for the same resistance she felt.

Silently, the boy sat down next to the girl, folding his hands in his lap. "They're powerful people," he said quietly. "Who know what they're capable of." The two sat in silence a moment, each pondering at the possibilities this encounter could mean. "If it comes down to court," Jake broke the silence, "they can afford better lawyers. They'd have a better chance of winning."

"Why do they hate us?" Dannika asked suddenly. She resented her grandparents. She hardly knew them. They never came down for holidays, rarely visited. She only knew them by sight from pictures she'd found buried in boxes down in the basement. She'd never paid them much mind before. Now she wished she'd smacked them in the butt a couple of times with a plasma blast.

Jake shook his head. "They don't hate us. They're just out of their minds. They don't understand what's going on, and they're the kind of people who won't accept what they don't understand. That's probably why Mom doesn't tell us much about them. They wouldn't have understood her…"

"They could have helped us," Dannika muttered. "They could have given us some money so that Dad didn't have to get employed with the government."

Jake shook his head slowly. "You know they would have if we had asked. Mom would never accept help from them, though. She hated being rich."

"And this is a better alternative?" the girl snapped back. She knew she shouldn't be yelling at her brother. None of this was his fault. But she was just so angry! Everything was a disaster, and every time she tried to do something to fix it all, something else decided to ruin everything again! It just wasn't fair!

Before Jake could reply, Jeremy Manson appeared in the doorway."Finish packing, kids. We'll be leaving soon!" he exclaimed all too cheerily.

"I'm not going anywhere," Dannika objected. She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, refusing to move from her perch.

"Of course you are!" Jeremy intervened. He pulled Jake to his feet, pushing the boy out the door. "We already have your rooms all set up! Just need your clothes and whatever personal possessions you can't bear to live without!" He moved to Dannika's dresser and began neatly removing clothes from the drawers and folding them into the suitcase.

"Hey!" Dannika cried, leaping to her feet. "That's my stuff!" She ran to the suitcase and began pulling the clothes out as fast as her grandfather put them in. "You can't just come here and force us out of our home!"

Jeremy laughed, retrieving the clothes Dannika had thrown out of the bag. "But this isn't your home, sweetie! This is just a memory to be left behind!" He stood and looked around the room. "Ah! These look important!" he decided, heading for the cork boards. Dannika watched in horror as he took down her pictures, tucking them away in the suit case.

"You can't do this!" she cried as the man zipped up the bag. Dannika dove for it, clinging to its handle. "I'm not going with you!" she wailed, trying desperately to pull the suit case away. Jeremy laughed, trying to turn it all into a joke – an adventure. This wasn't an adventure. This was kidnapping! "Let go!" the girl shrieked. She stumbled after the man, her hand clamped onto the suit case, as he made his way out of the room and down the hall.

"You'll love it!" Jeremy insisted, pulling the girl's fingers from the suitcase handle and dropping the package to the first floor.

Dannika screamed, hitting her fists against her grandfather's chest. "No! You can't do this! You can't just take me away! I'm not going!" Suddenly, someone's arms were around her waist, pulling her away.

"Dannika, calm down!" her brother begged, holding her back. "It's not as bad as it seems. Trust me on this!" She knew she should. Jake had been with numerous families before the Fentons had become his foster family and, later, his adoptive family. But she just couldn't listen to it right now. She couldn't see how it would all be alright.

"Let me go!" she yelled. "Mom! Mommy, don't let them take us away!" She broke free from her brother's grasp and dropped herself down the ladder, running into her mother's arms. "I'm not going with them!" she whimpered.

"Shhh, shh. Of course you're not," Sam whispered, holding her daughter close. Jake climbed down the ladder, followed by Jeremy. The older man took the suitcases and made his way out to deposit them in the trunk of the car. Jake walked over to stand by his mother and sister. Sam glared at her parents. "You can't take them away from me," she growled, wrapping an arm around Jake and pulling him close to her. "I won't let you!"

"Sammykins!" Pamela said sweetly, folding her hands in front of her heart. "This environment is not safe for young children! Just look around!" Her arms spread wide, indicating the havoc that had been wreaked upon Fenton Works. "I'm sure if we brought a lawyer into this, they'd agree. The children must be taken away until the parents have a safe place for them to live."

Sam's eyes narrowed, but she didn't argue. "What you're saying is, once Fenton Works is once again safe for the children, they can come back?"

Pamela's broad smile was the purr of a cat just after a victorious fight. "Of course, my dear!" she encouraged.

Dannika felt her mother's grip slacken around her and her brother. The woman knelt down before them, grabbing each of their hands in her own. "I'm going to have to let you go," she whispered.

"Mom! No!" Dannika cried, but Sam shook her head.

"It won't be forever," she promised. "I'll visit often, and I'll bring you back as soon as I can." She pulled her kids into a hug, holding them tight. "I love you both so much! You'll be safe with them. No more ghost attacks." She kissed each of the siblings on the head before letting them go. "Be strong," she whispered. Straightening, she turned to her parents. "Fine. Take them." Her voice cracked with the tears she was fighting. Dannika knew this was as hard for her mother as it was for her and her brother.

Pamela rushed forward, herding the siblings toward the door. "Come along, now, kids!" she urged. "You'll love it with us! We have a bowling alley, and a theater. We have a private helicopter, and just wait until you see your rooms!" The woman prattled on about how wonderful the house was as Dannika and Jake climbed into the back seat of the car. She was still talking as the car pulled out of the driveway and made its way along the road. Dannika watched out the back window as her home, her family, disappeared behind them. She saw her mother saunter out onto the porch, her hand going to her mouth as the tears spilled over. She saw Danielle come out and place a hand on Sam's shoulder. She saw Sam fold into the halfa's embrace. And, just as the car turned a corner and the house disappeared from view, she saw the two collapse to the ground in sobs. A tear slid down the teenager's cheek as she twisted around in her seat. A hand was on her shoulder. She looked up to see Jake smiling sadly down at her. Silently, she leaned against him, letting the tears flow free as her brother cradled her in his arms.

_He's all there is left to lose…_

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_I'm really glad you guys are still following my story! Thank you all so much! Hope you like this next chapter! Not terribly exciting… Just getting the two away from Fenton Works and all…_

_You guys should check out this fanfic, too! s/7516510/1/ It's another great fanfiction about Danny's kids. You guys should check it out!_


	10. Comrade Compassion

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Comrade Compassion**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Yahooo! We're on a roll now! Onto chapter ten! Hope you guys enjoy!_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

"_I'm not going anywhere," _

"_Of course you are! We already have your rooms all set up! Just need your clothes and whatever personal possessions you can't bear to live without!"_

"_You can't just come here and force us out of our home!"_

"_But this isn't your home, sweetie! This is just a memory to be left behind!"_

"_No! You can't do this! You can't just take me away! I'm not going!" _

"_Mom! Mommy, don't let them take us away!" _

"_I'm going to have to let you go."_

Dannika's eyes slid open to a room too pink. The curtains were drawn open, letting the warm sun shine in. Silently, the girl pushed herself into a sitting position, the fluffy, floral sheets falling to the floor. It all seemed like a dream. Like this couldn't actually be happening to her. It was something that only happened in stories and to really unfortunate people. _Look around,_ she told herself. _You are an unfortunate person._ She rolled out of bed, pulling out a shirt and a pair of sweatpants from her suit case. She refused to put her stuff away in the room. She refused to call the room her room. She refused to call the house her home. It was all temporary, and she wasn't going to allow anyone to think otherwise.

As she made her way to the bathroom, she stripped off her night clothes. That was one nice thing about staying here. There was a bathroom that belonged to this room and this room alone. Throwing her clothes for the day on the counter, she climbed into the shower, mindlessly following the same routine she had had at Fenton Works. At home. It had been three days since the Mansons had taken Dannika and Jake away from their parents. The two hadn't seen anything of their family in that time. Dannika had been hoping – expecting – at least her mother to make an appearance. But, no. No one showed themselves. "Maybe she's been busy," Jake had suggested at dinner the other night. Of course. Busy. Too busy to bother with seeing her own children. Dannika stepped out of the shower, patting herself dry with a towel before she slipped on her clothes. She took a blow drier to her hair, tipping upside down and brushing it out as the hot air dried it. Throwing it into a ponytail, she numbly reached for the medicine cabinet. Only after she saw its empty shelves did she remember no one had grabbed her make up from Fenton Works. Sighing, she closed the cabinet and made her way down to the kitchen.

Compared to the rest of the house, the kitchen was fairly small. Just an average sized little kitchen with an adjacent dining room. Probably the most normal two rooms of the house. Dannika opened a cupboard, retrieving a Pop Tart from a box on the second shelf. She ripped the package open, grabbing her backpack from a seat at the table and swinging it over her shoulder. If she waited five more minutes, her grandparents would offer her a ride to school. Within two minutes, the front door had slammed closed behind her, and she was at the corner of the block waiting for the bus.

* * *

On the bus, Dannika, Nick, and Tiffany all squeezed into the same seat. Tiffany sat squished up against the window, Nick took the middle, and Dannika sprawled out in the alley. Normally, Mr. Solb would have yelled at them, "Two to a seat!" but he'd been lenient on Dannika and her brother the past week. It was his way of showing sympathy toward her for her loss.

"Do we always have to sit like this, now?" Tiffany grumbled, shifting and twisting in her seat in a hopeless attempt to get comfortable.

Nick stretched his arms over his head, bringing them down so one arm draped over each of the girl's shoulders. Tiffany sank greatly against the boy's chest, pushing her butt against the wall of the bus. "What are you talking about?" he mocked. "This is cozy!" Both girls turned and weakly tried to hit him. Nick only laughed, pulling the two close to him. "You two are cute," he teased. The three laughed, Tiffany and Dannika cuddling up against their friend. "So, Tiff still wants to run away, but now Dannie doesn't have anywhere for her to runaway to…" Nick mused to himself. "And Dannika also wants to run away… How funny that the two girls who always run to each other when they want to run anywhere both want to run away from home."

"Yeah…" Tiffany sighed, her bottom lip protruding in a pout. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

Dannika nodded her agreement. Then a thought struck her. "Why don't we go to your house?" She twisted around so she could just make out Nick's face in the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, right!" Nick laughed. "You guys come to my house… What a joke!"

"I'm serious!" Dannika protested. She sat up, turning in the seat so she could look the boy straight in the eye. "You're our next best option right now, Nick! Why not let us come over?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Well, for starters, I've never really brought girls to my house before… My mom's bound to over react – "

"Wait!" Tiffany burst out. "You've _never_ brought a girl to your house before?" Nick and Dannika stared at the girl, not entirely following what she was saying. Tiffany burst out laughing. "This is priceless! Our big, star, football player has never invited a girl to his house before!"

"Tiff…" Dannika objected.

"No, no, Dannie! Let me have my moment. This is too good!" The girl was giddy with giggles. In this chaotic time, something so silly was hard to let go.

"You know what," Nick interrupted. "Fine. You girls come on over. But don't blame me when you're eaten alive."

"Yay!" both girls burst out. Simultaneously, they twisted in an attempt to throw their arms around the boy. However, with the confined space, the missed and, instead, simultaneously smacked each other. Dannika hit Tiffany's nose, while Tiffany slammed into Dannika's gut. Nick did the sensible thing. Laughed.

* * *

The bus pulled up to the school and everyone filed out. Jake was waiting outside, ready to grab Dannika aside and talk the moment she stepped foot off the bus. "Why do you insist on leaving every morning before anyone else is even up?" he demanded.

Dannika avoided eye contact. She hadn't spoken much to her brother in the past three days. She was still mad at him. Mad that he hadn't fought more to stay. Mad that he had been so ready to accept the move from the very beginning. Mad that he had tried to stop her from staying. "I'd rather ride the bus," was her only reply.

Jake grabbed hold of his sister's shoulders, turning her until the only thing keeping her from looking him in the eye was her neck twisted in the opposite direction. "Dannika, you're worrying our grandparents! I don't care how mad at them you are, right now, _they're_ the ones taking care of us! You can't go around avoiding them all the time!" Dannika was biting her tongue. She'd been doing that a lot lately. She wanted to scream and shout at her brother! To tell him off about just how mad she really was! But that would only give him some satisfaction, because it would mean that she was acknowledging him again. Truth was, she was acknowledging him only when she had to. Same went for her so-called grandparents. Jake's hands slipped from his sister's shoulders in defeat. "Fine. Go on ignoring everyone! Just remember, they're not ignoring you!" With that, he stalked off, leaving Dannika with her friends on the sidewalk.

The girl sighed, her shoulders slumping. It had been the same. The past three days whenever she encountered her brother, she felt a burning rage toward him, but the moment he left her side, she only missed him. "Why can't I just be happy that I still have him?" she whimpered.

Tiffany stepped to the girl's side, wrapping her arms around her friend and squeezing her tightly. "It's alright," she whispered.

Nick put a hand on Dannika's shoulder, smiling down at her. "You'll get through this. Just wait and see. In no time, you'll be going up to him and…" He turned to Tiffany, a blank look crossing his face.

"You guys'll be laughing it off and getting through all this together! You'll see!" Tiffany supplied. Nick smiled his thanks to the girl.

Dannika shrugged off her friends and headed toward the building. "Let's just get to class," she muttered.

* * *

School was changing for Dannika. Kids used to turn a blind eye to her and her friends. Yes, she was Danny Phantom's daughter, but she wasn't the most social person in the world, and it showed. Even if someone wanted to ask her something or say something to her about her dad, they would take five paces toward her before turning around. Now, they were pointing at her and whispering. Every once in a while, she would catch a snippet of conversation. "Phantom left town again." "…abandoning them after his dad died?" "…her grandparents took her away…" "…fought with Jake again…" She was used to the occasional pointing and whispering, but this was out of control. Dannika was on the verge of tears the entire day. It was all her friend could do to try and distract her.

"We could play some of those shoot-'em-up video games, you have!" Tiffany suggested at lunch. She and Nick had been discussing what they would do at the boy's house. Dannika had hardly been paying attention, though they asked for her opinion about every five minutes.

"Those would only scare you _girls_," Nick objected, spooning some pudding into his mouth. He glanced at Dannika, noticing the vacant expression etched onto her face. He cocked an eyebrow at Tiffany before scooping some more pudding onto his spoon and nodding toward their distressed friend. Tiffany glanced at the girl, then back at Nick, raising an eyebrow in question. The boy merely smiled and started flying the spoonful of pudding around like an airplain. "Vroooooom! Vrooooom! Vrrrrrr_oooooom_!" He brought the pudding close to Dannika's mouth, waggling it under her nose. "Oh no!" he cried in as high-pitched a voice as he could muster. "The tunnel's collapsed! If someone doesn't open it up, we'll all crash! Ahhh!"

"Go away," Dannika muttered, smacking at the spoon with her hand, but Nick had succeeded in getting a smile out of her.

Nick shook his head playfully. "Not until you eat something!" He waved the spoonful of pudding in front of her again, teasing her with the sweet aroma of chocolate.

Dannika stared at him a moment, unamused. Then, just when he was about to poke her with the spoon, she leaned forward and engulfed the pudding with her mouth. "Mmm," she murmured, "delicious!"

"Hey!" Nick objected, dangling the spoon over his head as he looked it all over. "That was _mine!_" he whined.

"Want it back?" Dannika asked around her mouthful of pudding. She stuck her tongue out, a glob of the brown chocolaty mass resting atop it.

Nick laughed. Reaching forward and taking Dannika's spoon from her tray, he scraped the pudding from her tongue and examined the glob. "I think I have a better use for this pudding…" he mused, a devilish grin playing at his lips. He spun the spoon around so it faced Dannika, pulling the tip back with his index finger. "Food fight, anyone?"

Dannika's eyes widened with horror. "Don't. You. Dare."

Nick cocked an eyebrow and let the pudding fly. Laughter insinuated, followed by many threats of revenge from Dannika to Nick. The boy didn't much care. He'd accomplished his goal. Dannika was no longer engulfed by the sudden increase in attention from the surrounding student body. Once again, her mind was with him and Tiffany, laughing and joshing like the friends they were.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_Sorry for the lame chapters lately guys… Working up to the exciting stuff! Just setting a basis for the new setting and letting things simmer down a little bit… It can't all be one curve ball after another…_

_Comments and Reviews are loved! (as always)_

_Also, if you guys want to write down what you think will happen later in the story, I'd love to see what kind of crazy ideas you guys come up with! (and it's fun to see if anyone can predict what I have planned :) )_


	11. A Visit Home

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A Visit Home**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Sadly, Dannika is going through a rough time, right now… And the near future doesn't appear much brighter… So, for those of you who would like to give the poor girl a hug, I'd like to direct you to this page, thank you: marqua90210 . deviantart #/d54tgef (no spaces. You can fast forward through the boring drawing process… It's rather lengthy and unentertaining… Just skip to the end if you want – the finished product!)_

_Anyhoooo, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Nick's call echoed through the hallway as the trio stumbled into the house. It was a simple, three bedroom, two bathroom, two-story house with a little dark hallway for an entryway. "I brought friends!"

"Okay, sweetie! I'll be out in a minute!" The accented call came from further down the hall, on the other side of a door.

Nick glanced at the girls, before sighing. "Come on, I'll show you the entertainment room," he muttered, throwing his backpack in a basket by the doorway and heading down the hall. Dannika and Tiffany followed. It was strange, being in Nick's house. The boy rarely talked about his home life, and, looking around, Dannika couldn't figure out why he'd never invited them over before. His house wasn't enormous – not like a mansion or anything – but it was rather large for just being a house. On the first floor alone, the trio passed by three bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room and two bathrooms, before ascending into the basement.

The girl's jaws dropped with amazement as they left the stairwell behind.

"Dude!" Tiffany gasped, staring at the room before them. The entire basement was one enormous room beneath the house filled with various games. Four flat screen TV's – 40" for movies, 52" for playstation, and two 65" for the Wii and Xbox Kinnect. In addition, there was an air hockey table, foosball table, and mini fridge filled with refreshments. "You're loaded!" Tiffany accused, rounding on the boy.

Nick shook his head, slumping into a beanbag chair. "Nah. We didn't buy all this in one fell swoop. This is what's accumulated over at least ten years. My mom likes to show off as much as she can. She'll probably be down here soon with snacks…"

"Uh-huh…" Tiffany muttered, taking a few steps forward. She was still gazing around the room in awe, trying to take in every corner, every square inch of space. "And… Why haven't you had any parties?"

"I have," Nick said. "Before I met you guys. I used to have parties all the time."

"When you _popular_…" Tiffany added, pouting.

"Yeah," Nick agreed. "When I was popular…" He avoided meeting Tiffany's gaze, his eyes scoring the far wall instead.

Dannika glanced at Tiffany. Her friend was staring at Nick. She simply could not understand his disdain for popularity. Sighing, Tiffany shook her head, falling into a beanbag chair across from the boy. "I'll never understand you…" she muttered.

Dannika shuffled forward, glancing around nervously. Slowly, she sank to her knees on the floor, looking between her two friends. An uneasy silence had fallen, and the girl wasn't sure how to break it. Luckily for her, she didn't have to. At that moment, a dark skinned woman with long, silky, dark hair sauntered into the room with a tray full of deviled eggs. She was adorned in a beautiful silk evening gown and a red butterfly barrette holding part of her hair up in a messy bun. "Who-o's hungry?" her child-like voice rang out. Her eyes opened to reveal bright, turquoise jewels smiling cheerfully at the trio. "Oh!" she gasped, seeing the two girls. "Oh… I thought – "

"That it was the guys?" Nick finished his mother's sentence. "Nah… Still don't really talk to them outside of football, Ma." The boy sat up and gestured to each of the girls in turn. "This is Tiffany Foley and Dannika Fenton," he introduced respectively.

The woman's face brightened at the names. "Ms. _Fenton_!" she purred. "I didn't know you were friend's with Danny's girl, Nickie!"

Dannika shrunk away from the attention, but Tiffany was indignant. "_And_ the _Mayor's_ girl!" Mrs. Jealousy rang out, trying to pull some of that attention her way.

"Yes, yes, Ms. Foley, too," Mrs. Baxter waved the comment away. She swooped forward, settling down beside Dannika and setting the tray in the middle of the floor. "I heard about your loss, Dannika, sweetie. It must be so _painful_ to have to go through all that! And with your father being out of town so much!" The woman _tske_d, shaking her head sadly. "Those rotten Mansons just had to add to your drama by taking you away, poor thing!"

"Umm… I'm okay… Really…" Dannika stammered, trying to scoot away from the woman without her noticing. "It's not that big a deal, Mrs. Baxter – "

"Paulina."

"What?"

"Call me Paulina, sweetie. Mrs. Baxter is far too… Average!" Paulina decided.

"O-ka-ay… Paulina…" Dannika corrected herself, a little freaked out.

Paulina looked around the group cheerily before rising to her feet. "Well, I'd better leave you three be!" she decided. "If you need anything, just holler!" With that, she was gone, gliding up the stairs and leaving the three to their devices.

"What's with her?" Tiffany grumbled, once more pouting on the beanbag chair.

Nick shrugged. "She's a fashion designer and obsessed with Danny Phantom. As far as I can tell, she's been obsessed with him since she was in High School."

_Well, I guess that explains why Nick wants me to use my powers so badly, instead of trying to get rid of them…_ Dannika thought absently.

* * *

About an hour later, the three were clustered around the Xbox TV playing Left for Dead, the deviled eggs nearly completely gone and soda cans littering the floor.

"I got a tank! Got a tank over here!" Tiffany shouted, pounding away at the controller.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" Nick yelled back, the joystick on his control doing 360's.

Dannika watched from the corner, not interested in playing any games. Her mind had left the room a while ago and traveled down the road to her own house. What was happening there? Had her father left to get rid of those ghosts in France yet? What was Danielle doing? Her mother? Her Grandmother? Were they renovating the house so she and her brother could return? The girl couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what was going on and why her family hadn't contacted her yet!

Dannika rose to her feet, glancing around the room. "Guys," she muttered. "I'm going to take a little flight. I'll be right back…"

"No! I'm down! I'm down! I'm down!" Nick yelled. "What's tha – Yeah, yeah! Sure!"

"I'm coming! Just hang on!" Tiffany was yelling.

Dannika smiled sadly at her friends. They were having so much fun… Is this what would become of them if she just disappeared from their lives? They never had this much fun with her… Would fighting ghosts by her side be as much fun as slaughtering zombies in that game? Dannika shook her head, transforming into Phantom and flying out through the wall.

* * *

It took about ten minutes to get from Nick's house to Fenton Works. Once there, Dannika hesitated outside the door. Part of her wanted to turn back human and knock – talk to her family and be a part of it once more. But she couldn't. She couldn't face them right now. Silently, she phased through the wall, flying invisibly through the house. Before she went to see how anyone was doing, there were a few things she wanted to grab – her makeup, for starters. As she flew down the hallway, she passed by her parents' room, a few drops of conversation catching her attention.

" – should go see them before you leave in the morning." It was her mother's voice. Dannika slowed down, hovering just outside the door.

"No, I shouldn't… Dannika hates me…" The lower, gruffer voice belonged to Danny.

"She doesn't _hate_ you!" Sam objected.

"Did you see the way she looked at me? She thinks I'm a monster…"

"She just doesn't understand," Sam consoled. "She's scared, and she misses her father – the father she once had, not the father that's never around." There was silence, then, "Jake misses you, too."

"Jake hates all things related to ghosts," Danny objected.

"Why do you say such things? If you go around constantly claiming your children hate you, the only thing that will come of it is them actually hating you!"

"Jake's mother was killed by ghosts," Danny snapped. "He's never wanted anything to do with them! Hell, when we first brought him into this family, he didn't even believe ghosts existed! We scared him nearly every night, Sam!"

"He's past all that, Danny! He's been living with us for ten years now!"

"And when has he ever shown an interest in ghosts in that time? When has he ever even hinted that he wasn't afraid of them?"

"Danny – "

"How did he act when that ghost attacked Fenton Works? Tell me that?"

Silence.

"Tell me, Sam!"

"He ran. He ran to get Dannika. She was his only concern. He got her and then he hid with her."

"He ran and hid! The boy's still terrified of them!"

Dannika wasn't entirely sure what her parents were talking about. She'd never asked what had happened to Jake's parents. The thought had never crossed her mind. Was he really afraid of ghosts? Her mind raced back to the various conversations she had had with her brother, to everything he'd said about ghosts. There was the attack at school… Jake had come by and sat with her on the bus. What had he said to her? _Were you scared?_ Yes, that was it. Had he been scared, then? _It's a highly dangerous job,_ he'd said. Was there something else he hadn't been saying?

"Danny…" Sam sighed. "How can you expect them to look up to you if you never give them something to look up to? Just think about it. They really do adore you."

He thought they hated him. It was true, Dannika didn't really look up to her father, but hate? No, she didn't hate him. If she hated him, she wouldn't be about to try and help save his name. She wouldn't get so upset about it when people started bad mouthing him. No. Dannika didn't hate her father, she just wanted a normal family. A normal life.

Silently, she floated down the hall and to the bathroom where she retrieved the makeup that had been left behind. Slipping it into her pocket, she backtracked, flying down into the basement where Danielle was hard at work outlining various plans.

"Do you e_ver_ take a break?" Dannika asked, stepping into visibility.

Danielle jumped at the sound of the girl's voice, her hand going to her heart in fright. "You scared me!" she gasped.

"Yeah, well, you didn't answer my question," Dannika retorted.

Danielle laughed, shaking her head. "My whole life has been a break up until about five years ago. Then I started paying attention to your father's life – trying to keep him safe."

Dannika shook her head, walking up to the table. "So what's your plan? You do know a ghost is bound to show up in town pretty soon. It's part of the 'test.'" The girl turned her head as she tried to cipher the notes Danielle had been working on.

"Well," Danielle said, scooping the papers into a pile and storing them away in a box. "I was hoping you'd take care of this ghost. That is, if you feel up to it. If you'd rather not, get some more training in first – "

"I'll do it," Dannika interrupted. "Better to get this started as soon as possible, right?"

Danielle nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. So, you'll take care of that. Anything else you need?"

"_Training_." Dannika suggested sarcastically.

Danielle hung her head, sighing. "With the Mansons taking you away, that makes training difficult. I'm still trying to figure out a way we can schedule that."

Dannika propped herself up on the desk, crossing her legs one atop the other. "Well," she mused, "I managed to sneak away tonight. Our schedule before was I get, what, an hour of training in every day after school? We can still probably squeeze that in. I'll just sneak off down here after school. No one would notice. I hardly ever show my face in that house, anyway."

Danielle nodded, distracted. "Yeah… Sounds good…" she muttered. The woman was shuffling through some old boxes, a notebook in hand. "If that's all, I'm a little busy here…"

Dannika sighed, getting to her feet. "I guess I'll see you Monday after school, then…"

"Uh-huh…"

Dannika watched her cousin a moment, reluctant to leave. But the inevitable was near. She couldn't stay here forever… Who knew when Paulina would head back down to check on Nick and Tiffany. If she came down more than once, how long could the two keep her at bay if she noticed Dannika's absence? Silently, Dannika phased through the wall and flew back to Nick's house.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_The battle's almost here! Sorry, you guys are probably getting a bit bored by now… But do not fear! Next chapter will have more excitement and will be the start of yet more twists! (which means the lemons of life will be attacking Dannika again! Yay!)_

_Comments are loved!_


	12. Left For Dead

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**Left For Dead**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Here it is! The big battle!_**  
**

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

Silence filled the gloom, the only sound to be heard was the erratic tapping and clicking of buttons and steady breathing of two sleeping forms. A bright light glared down at Dannika from the television as she fought her way through level five of Left for Dead. She couldn't begin to count the number of times she had awoken her friends with her cries terror and frustration. Tiffany seemed to wake at the slightest whimper from the ghost girl, while Nick had only awoke to the more terrifying screams. Every time, Dannika would lull the two back to sleep with soft murmurs of "Sorry" and "Go back to sleep, everything's fine!" Her goal was simple: play enough violent video games that she might have a chance in a real battle with a ghost. She knew it sounded insane, but maybe a little insanity was what she needed.

The house passed quickly, more quickly than Dannika even realized. In this windowless room that was the entertainment room allowed for no light to shine through and represent the passing of time. Only mere glances at the clock gave the girl any clue to what time it was, but the game played before her made time pass far more quickly than she liked. It felt like only half an hour had passed since the last time she checked the time at 2:45 AM; but when a voice next disturbed her, Dannika was surprised to find the clock reading 8:63.

"Have you been playing that all night?"Nick yawned, crawling up to sit next to the girl. His hat was off, laying on the floor some feet away. His hair was tangled and toppling to the left of his head, his bangs sticking straight up in the air.

Dannika shrugged, pausing the game and tossing the controller down. "Couldn't sleep," she said simply. It wasn't a complete lie. She couldn't get her eyes to close, but, then again, she didn't want them to close.

"So, what are you doing?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean? I'm playing a game…"

The boy shook his head, grabbing the controller from where it lay on the floor. "You've never been into these sort of things, Dannie. You hate games like this, where you have to kill and fight… You always said it was too much like if you were to accept your powers and start fighting. So what's up?"

Dannika glanced at the boy, considering. "Alright," she sighed. "Alright, I guess I have to tell you guys… I'll be needing your help anyway…" Nick glanced sidelong at her, raising a brow, but remained silent. "I've decided to fight," the girl continued. "The Guys In White are trying to make Dad look bad. They want to turn everyone against him so that they can finally have him! And I can't just sit back and let them destroy my home, my family, my life! So… I'm going to fight, and protect it. Protect him."

Nick was silent a moment, his thumbs moving across the controller as he got the game started again. The couple sat in silence, watching the screen as the character ran around slaying zombies. "You think you can handle it?" Nick finally asked.

"No," Dannika admitted. "Not on my own, at least, and not nearly as well as my father."

Nick nodded, accepting the answer. "So what, then? You're just waiting for some ghost to show up? You'll beat it back to the Ghost Zone, and, what? Your dad will still be seen as a traitor."

"Not if I pose as him," Dannika objected. "Not if I pretend to be him and draw attention to myself so that the public sees me and thinks I'm him. Then they'll think he's returned!"

Nick nodded. "This is a great plan, in theory. We'll just have to see how well we'll be able to pull it off." He clicked a few buttons, powering down the Xbox before throwing the controller on the ground. "So, what do you need us to do?"

"As soon as Tiff wakes up, we need to go out and patrol the town. The Guys In White sent a ghost here to tempt Dad," the girl explained, looking over her shoulder at the sleeping form that was her best friend.

Nick looked at the sleeping girl a moment. She looked so peaceful, curled around her pillow with a blanket tangled around her legs and arms. Almost like a child. Suddenly, a pillow was on top of her, jolting her awake.

"WHAT was THAT!" she yelled, scanning the room. Dannika looked at Nick who looked at the wall. Tiffany just grumbled, rolling back onto the floor. "Why'd you guys wake me up?" she complained.

"Time to go patrolling for ghosts." Nick said, as if it were a normal occurence.

"You're kidding?"

* * *

About ten minutes later the trio was off. Nick had a few scooters, plenty extra for Tiffany to borrow one and still have one left for himself. Dannika took to the air, scanning the skies and awaiting her ghost sense to go off.

_Sssshhhppp "You got anything up there?"_ The voice came through the walkie-talkie Dannika held in her hand. She clicked the button at the top, and replied, "No, nothing! Tiffany, how 'bout you?"

_Sssshhhhsshhpppp " Haven't seen anything… I'll check the news, see if there's been any sittings."_

Dannika sighed, floating down to land atop a billboard. She flung her legs over the edge, sitting on the thing length of metal frame and gazing out at the town stretching out before her. The sun was just rising on the horizon, the soft pink hues illuminating the metalwork of the various buildings towering into the purple sky above. It took the girl's breath away, the gentle glint of dawn.

_Pppppsshhshssshhhttttt!_ The walkie-talkie buzzed to life in Dannika's hand as Tiffany's voice filtered through. _"Looks like the ghost passed through Nasty Burger, but didn't cause any trouble. He seems to be headed for city hall…"_

"City Hall?" Dannika mused. "Why would it target – " Then it hit her. "Tucker!" In a moment, she had jumped from the billboard, tumbling toward the earth ten feet before flying off toward the Mayor's office. "Nick! Tiff!" she yelled into the handheld radio. "Find Tucker! Make sure he stays well away from City Hall, but don't let him figure out that there's a ghost headed there!"

_Psshhhhp_. _"Got it!" "On my way!"_ The replies came simultaneously and Dannika saw her friends change course below her. Tiffany whipped out a cell phone, dialing in her father's number.

Dannika put on a burst of speed, rushing through the skies to find this ghost. As it turns out, she didn't have to look for long, because the ghost found her. A net came flying through the sky, taking Dannika by surprise and engulfing her in a glowing trap. "Hey!" she cried. "What is this?"

"Well what do you know?" A low, echoing voice drifted to the girl's ears. "I came in search of the Ghost Boy, but I find a Ghost _Girl_!" Dannika's head swiveled this way and that as she tried to locate the source of the voice. "The resemblance between you and the Ghost Boy is astonishing! Could you be another clone?" A figure manifested before the girl, a bulky hulk of metal and wiring with two faces – one on its stomach and one on its head.

"Clone?" Dannika guffawed. "I'm no clone!"

"Skulker! Isn't that the ghost boy's little girl?" the stomach mused, straining to look up at the head. His voice was high pitched and whinny.

The head, Skulker, scrutinized the girl carefully. "I think you're right!" his deeper voice bellowed. "The Ghost Boy's offspring. We could mount the entire family on the wall!"

"What!" Dannika shrieked, shrinking back in terror.

The stomach didn't look too pleased about this idea either. "Must we mount _everything_?" it complained. "All those trophies can be pretty menacing in the middle of the night when I get up to charge the suit…"

"Well, can we at least mount their heads? Or skin them into a rug? That would look quite nice in the apartment…" Skulker offered.

"Fine! We can skin them into a rug!" the stomach consented. "But they go in _your_ room!"

"I don't think so!" Dannika objected. Her hands glowed florescent green as she pushed against the net encasing her. Slowly, the threads snapped, until the girl burst forth from the trap. She waisted no time with exchange of pleasantries, firing the first shot at the freaky, talking stomach. The thing opened its mouth right as the blasé was about to make contact. It was an interesting sight, the stomach eating the ecto-plasma. His eyes widened, his mouth contorting. Everything fell still as Skulker and Dannika awaited the outcome and the stomach tried to swallow the glowing green ball. It's cheeks puffed out, its lips pinching together. A second later, the mechanical suit exploded, sending Dannika and Skulker flying. The ghost girl hit the ground, the breath driven from her lungs. She rolled onto her side, coughing and gasping as she tried to catch her breath again.

_Ppppsssshhhht_ The walkie-talkie sounded. _"Dannika! You alright?"_ The device lay about a yard away, Nick's voice filtering through the desolate static. _"Dannika, can you hear me? What's going on over there?" _Dannika struggled to her knees, pulling herself toward the crackling device. Each movement brought a groan to her lips. "Nick!" she gasped, slamming her hand down on the walkie-talkie. "Nick! Ghost! Found it…" she gasped. She pushed herself to her feet, her knees wobbling beneath her.

_Sssshhhhttt "Are you alright? Do you need backup?"_

Dannika's eyes were scanning the area, searching for the pretator. "I think I blew him up," she reported. "I can't find him… I think he's toa – "

A blast came soaring through the air, knocking the walkie-talkie out of the girl's hand. Dannika quickly retracted her hand, staring at it, counting the fingers to make sure they were all there. While her back was turned, another blast collided with her, driving her to her knees. "You destroyed my legs!" Skulkers deep voice echoed overhead. Dannika twisted around, barely catching a glimpse of the sparking machine looming above her. From the chest up, the suit was fully operational, bearing a pair of wings to keep the hunter afloat, while from the chest down it was no more than a tangle of sparking wires. The girl could only just make out the glow in the barrel of the gun as it began to hum with life. She threw herself to the side, but too late. The blast caught her fleeting leg. Another blast hit her shoulder before she could even react to the first hit. Her scream reverberated through the air, her shoulder driven to the ground. "You're pathetic!" Skulker taunted. "Not even a challenge! Are you even worth the hunt, Dwelp? Or maybe I should just destroy you now."

Dannika glared over her shoulder at the hulking frame of metal, clutching at her shoulder. As a last ditch effort, she threw her body, rolling to her back as she brought her hand around, a green ball of ectoplasma flying from her palm and in the direction of the taunting buffoon. The strain on her shoulder, forced her eyes shut, when she again opened them, Skulker was right above her, laughing. "Now, we'll put you out of your misery." A gun on each shoulder, loaded and humming. As the weapons began to glow a brilliant blue, Dannika closed her eyes, praying for a miracle. "Goodbye, Dwelp!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_Well, hope you guys enjoyed that! More to come!_

_Comments are loved!_


	13. Radical Rescue

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**Radical Rescue**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Thirteen! Unlucky number! Suiting for this chapter ^^_

_Hope you guys enjoy!_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

"I'm his DAUGHTER!" the cry rang out, reverberating off the walls. A red beret bounced back and forth, trying to get around the new security guard. "You have to let me through!"

"I'm sorry," the bulky man objected. "I've been instructed to not let anyone through." He grabbed the girl be the shoulders, lifting her into the air as she squirmed and kicked. "The mayor will not be seeing anyone tonight." The man carried the girl down the hall, releasing her at the end. "I'm sorry." With that, he turned around and returned to his post.

"I'm not done with you!" Tiffany cried, storming after the man. Nick shook his head, wondering down another hall, walkie-talkie in hand. It'd been a while since they'd last spoke with Dannika. Nick wondered how she was doing. Had she encountered the ghost yet? He glanced over his shoulder, making sure he wasn't being followed. He could barely make out Tiffany's whining cry as she desperately tried to get hold of her father. The distinct lack of sound from the security guard told Nick he was out of ear shot from the duo. Fumbling with the walkie-talkie, he hit the button. "Dannika?" he spoke softly into the device. "You alright?" He released the button, waiting for a response. Down the hall, he could hear Tiffany trying to knock the door down: fighting with the security guard and screaming for her father. He thought for sure Tucker would hear her and coming bursting through the door at any moment. He didn't have much time. He focused his attention on the walkie-talkie again. She should have answered by now. Delicately, he pressed the button again, speaking a bit louder. "Dannika? Can you hear me?" He paused again. "What's going on over there?" _What's going on? Why isn't she answering?_ The boy secured his backpack onto his shoulders, fishing the keys to his scooter from his pocket. He was ready to hop on and go after her. _Could she be hurt?_ he wondered, worried.

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie burst to life, crackling with static. _"Nick!"_ Dannika's strained voice came through the static. _"Ghost! Found it…"_ She was hurt, that was certain. But she seemed alright enough. Dannika wasn't the most athletic. It was possible she was just worn out from fighting… Either way… "Are you alright?" he asked. "Do you need back up?"

Her reply came faster this time, reassuring the boy that she was alright. _"I think I blew him up."_ The news surprised Nick. "Blew him up?" he breathed. _Dannika blew something up?_ He was about to reply when the girl continued. _"I can't find him… I think he's toa – " _A crackling explosion interrupted the exchange. "Dannika!" Nick cried into the device, but all he received was static. "Dannika? Dannika!" _Where are you?_

Spinning around, the boy dashed back to Tiffany. Tucker was just squeezing his way out the door, past the brawling teenager and security guard. Tiffany was yelling at him about the "new security system" and how it was "unlawful to keep a girl from her father."

"Tiffany, I'm sorry," Tucker soothed the girl. "You normally don't visit me at work, so I wasn't expecting you to show up." He was bent over so he was eye level with his daughter, his gaze apologetic and pleading – pleading for forgiveness.

Tiffany sighed, shaking her head. "We need to get out of here," she muttered. "That's why I came. There's a ghost out and it's headed this way. I want you to come home with me now! It's not safe here!" She grabbed at her father's hand, turning around to drag him down the hall with her.

"Wait," Nick gasped, stepping in front of the two. He blocked the hallway, forcing Tiffany to halt in her tracks.

The girl's brows met in frustration. "Nick, we have to _go_!"

"That may not be as simple as it sounds…" the boy muttered. He glanced at Tucker a bit uncertain, but there was no time for caution. "Can we track Dannika? Is there any way to find out where she is?"

Tucker began laughing before anyone could say more. "So you're interested in Dannika?" the man laughed. "It would seem Sam owes me fifty bucks…"

"What?" Nick and Tiffany gasped simultaneously. "I'm not – " the boy muttered, but Tucker wouldn't hear it. The man stepped forward, draping an arm over Nick's shoulders. "Now, I may not seem it, but I was quite the ladies' man when I was your age," the man continued. "I had may fair share of tricks, and stalking was one of them. So, let me tell you, it is i_not_/i the way to go."

"I'm not _stalking_ Dannika! We're just friends!" Nick burst out, tearing away from the man. "We need to find a location on her because she's in trouble!" The boy waved the walkie-talkie in the man's face, trying to prove his emotions for the girl were purely of friendship.

"Nick!" Tiffany objected.

"We don't have time to be discreet!" Nick snapped. He turned back to the mayor, spilling everything. "Dannika wants to help Danny Phantom, so we went patrolling this morning. Tiffany found out where the ghosts were and where they were headed. We came here to get you to safety and Dannika went after the ghosts. She found it, or it found her, or whatever! The point is, she's not ready for this kind of combat and she needs help and we need to get to her_** NOW**_!" With his rant complete, Nick took a moment to catch his breath, giving Tucker time to let everything sink in.

The mayor blinked three times, glancing between the two teens. It took him twenty seconds, then he shifted to techno-geek-ghost-hunter mode. "Give me the walkie-talkie," he ordered Nick. The boy immediately handed over the device. Tucker pulled out a PDA from his pocket and began messing with the two devices. Nick tried to keep up with what the man was doing, but didn't understand any of it. A minute later, two beeps resonated from the PDA. "I'm getting two signals. One is coming from this room." He glanced at his daughter. "You have a walkie-talkie synced with this one?" Tiffany merely nodded, too scared to speak. Tucker shook his head, handing the walkie-talkie back to Nick. He fished his keys out from his pocket, already on his way out of the building. "Come on, kids," he said. "Let's go get that girl."

* * *

The trio raced down the road, speeding toward the billboard Dannika and the ghost fought under. It was about seven blocks away, and, driving at forty miles an hour, the group was there in a couple of minutes. Nick leapt from the car before it had even come to a complete stop, racing for his friend. He could see her laying on the ground, the ghost hovering over her, about to blow her to smithereens. "Dannika!" he cried. He heard a car door slam behind him, followed by the high-pitched whine of a weapon firing up.

"Nick, duck!" Tucker's gruff voice echoed around him. The boy hit the ground as a blast shot over his head, making contact with the looming ghost. Stumbling to his feet, the boy continued his mad dash until he reached the girl. He crashed to the ground beside her, slipping his arm under her shoulders. "Dannika? Are you alright? Dannika?"

The girl groaned, her eyes sliding open. "Nick…" she moaned. Her eyes squeezed shut again in a grimace. "Shoulder… Hurts…"

"Oh… Sorry!" The boy switched his grip, wrapping an arm around Dannika's waist and pulling her to her feet. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"

Dannika gasped as her weight shifted to her feet. "Where's Tiff?" she asked, clutching at the boy for support.

"In the car," Nick replied curtly. He began pulling the girl toward the car, wanting to get her away from the scene as fast as possible. That wasn't as easy has he had originally anticipated. Dannika stumbled, nearly falling every other step. After about four feet, Nick stopped. "Is there something else wrong? Another injury you're not telling me about?"

Dannika shook her head, but when she took another step, it obvious she was lying. "Ok," she admitted. "My leg was shot. I can't walk on it."

Without comment, Nick placed his free hand under the girl's butt (much to her protest) and pulled her legs around his waist, shifting her so that he supported her with a hand under each leg. Like this, he carried the girl to the car, making a lot more ground a lot faster than having her limp at his side. The girl was either too exhausted or in too much pain to protest. She simply draped her arms over his shoulders, burying her head by his neck. As Nick dashed for the car, Tucker came to his side, fending off the ghost as they retreated. "Is that Dannika?" the mayor gasped. No one replied. The teenagers knew it was too late – they had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_So, switched up the point of view a little bit for this chapter. AND! The secret's out! Or is it? What will Tucker do? What will the trio do? Are they in trouble? :D I'm having way too much fun with this! Hehe!_

_Comments and Reviews are loved!_


	14. Ironic Intrusion

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Ironic Intrusion**_

_**Author's Introduction**_

_So… The charger for my laptop died on me… I ordered a new one off of amazon and it should be coming soon… For now, I'm using my mom's laptop when I can, so I can't promise when I'll update…_

_Any who, here's chapter fourteen! Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer**_

_Danny Phantom, all related characters, and references to the show belong to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon._

_Dannika Fenton and all related characters belong to me._

"Alright, tell me everything."

The group sat in a dinky, little living room. There three teenagers were huddled together on a couch – the only piece of furniture to be found in the room – while Tucker stood by the door, arms folded across his chest and a scowl placed upon his face. Dannika sat on the end of the couch, her injured leg propped up on the laps of her friends and an icepack on her shoulder. Tucker had taken the three to this little apartment after fleeing the scene of the ghost attack. The teenagers had never seen the place before and had many questions of their own for the Mayor, but the man commanded they listen the moment they began to open their mouths. Now the three sat, staring at one another, silently asking the same question. How much do they tell the mayor and what do they keep to themselves?

It was Dannika who finally spoke up. "Well… I'm a halfa…" she muttered, her eyes darting to the far wall as she bit her bottom lip.

"You don't say?" Tucker's sarcasm was laced with impatience as he paced forward, stooping so he was eye-level with the girl. "I hadn't figured that one out yet! What other obvious traits are you going to enlighten me with?" His eyes were fixated on the ghost girl as he awaited her response, but Dannika didn't know what else to say. Wasn't that enough? She was a halfa… Why wasn't he running to the phone to tell her father? Her mother? Someone?

"Daddy! Stop it!" Tiffany cried, unable to keep her mouth shut any longer. "It's not Dannie's fault! All she wanted was to get rid of them! She didn't want any of this! It's not her fault!"

Tucker looked at his daughter, considering what she had just said. As he thought, his eyes drifted over Nick, and back to Dannika. Finally, he straightened. "I just want to know what happened. How did Dannika get ghost powers in the first place?"

"She was born with them." Tiffany immediately responded. She glanced apologetically at her friend, but keeping quiet wasn't going to do any of them any good. They all knew it. Their secret had been discovered.

Tucker shook his head. Biology had never been his strongest subject, so how the girl had inherited ghost powers was beyond him. "I suppose it would be in her genes…" he muttered. He was thinking back to the day Danny had gotten his ghost powers. What had changed him? What happened to his body when that portal started up to give him ghost powers? He'd never thought about it before, and now he had far too many things on his mind to try and diagnose it. He decided to file the thought away for another time and focus on the matter at hand instead. "What were you three doing out there today? Chasing after ghosts? If you just want to get rid of your powers, Dannika, why use them?"

Here it was. The question that had been floating through the air for the past week. Should she use her powers or ignore them? She hadn't come up with an answer herself. No… She was given an answer. She may hate her powers, but she loved her family more. If using her powers meant she could keep them safe, than she would do it. "It's complicated…" she muttered, not meeting the mayor's gaze.

"Uncomplicate it."

She didn't want to. She didn't want to tell this man everything. That's what she had Nick and Tiffany and even Danielle for. She didn't need to add another name to that list. Especially not when she didn't know that name's motives.

"Dannika."

"I want to protect my family, okay?" she burst out, spinning around to glare at Tucker. "The Guys in White are playing Dad! He's not around to protect us from ghosts, and, pretty soon, he won't be around to protect anyone from anything! They'll come after all of us! I can't let that happen!" _They'll come after all of us_. She meant more than just the ghosts, but that bit of information, Tucker didn't need to know. She wasn't sure how much of it Nick and Tiffany even understood.

Tucker's curt nod and moment of pause took Dannika off guard. She was expecting another bombardment of questions. Instead, he said, "I just have one more question. Why didn't you come to me for help sooner?" He knelt in front of Dannika, his tone now gentle, caring. "I helped your dad train. I fought ghosts with him. I helped to protect this town, even when it didn't know it was being protected. I can help you, too."

Dannika stared at the man. It was odd. She thought it would be frightening – having someone so close to her father knowing her secret. She should be terrified. Instead, she felt relieved. "There's something else you might want to know then," she said. "You know Danielle? She has ghost powers too… And… She's been training me… Or… Trying to anyway…"

Tucker smiled. Danielle. There was a time – be it brief – his eyes had been glued to that girl. He had considered asking her out, but, after devising a plot to pop the question, he realized how repulsive the idea was. Danielle was Danny's clone. If he asked her out it would be like dating his best friend. The very thought had made him shudder. That had put an end to any intimate thoughts about the clone. "Two teachers is better than one," he told Dannika. "I'll talk to Danielle and get things sorted out. Just, do me a favor, will you?" Dannika bit her lip, waiting. Tucker couldn't help but smile. She may look like her father, but her personality was all her own. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me for help. I can cover for you if you need to run to a ghost attack, and I can help you get rid of your powers, too. If you decide that's what you really want."

Dannika couldn't believe it. She could finally get rid of them? She could finally be a normal girl! No more falling in her father's footsteps. When this was all over, she could put it behind her for good! "Thank you, Mayor Foley."

Tucker scowled again, but this time playfully. "How many times do I have to tell you? We're family. And family calls me Tucker."

"I don't," Tiffany pointed out.

Everyone laughed and Tucker ruffled his daughter's hair. "Family calls me Tucker, except for my kids. They call me Dad." He smiled down at his daughter, his eyes filled with the love and longing of a lost and broken family.

"Speaking of your kids, this daughter is wondering where in the hell you took us!" Tiffany burst out, bringing up the question that had been burning in everyone's mind.

Tucker looked around, his smile fading. "This is the apartment I rented. I was going to tell you all about it tonight at dinner, but I suppose now will do." His eyes scanned over the trio. It was funny how the generations changed, and yet, thing hardly changed at all. Merely three new personalities pursuing the ghost fighting career they'd all fallen victim to. "If you'd like, the three of you could use this apartment as a base. You can come here to safely talk about ghosts and ghost-fighting without the worry of being overheard. Whatever you need."

Tiffany's smile was more than just one of gratitude. This offer gave her more than just a safe house and a base of operations. This offer gave her her father back. "Thanks, Dad."

_**Author's Notes**_

_So, not too exciting… A few new elements for the story, but nothing too drastic… Working up to some more exciting stuff…_

_Comments and reviews are loved!_


	15. Death's Lullaby

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Death's Lullaby**_

**Author's Introduction**

_I know I'm late with this chapter… But not without reason! So here it is._

_Made up excuse: I was abducted by aliens for the last two weeks of summer and was forced to do their bidding._

_Actual reason: My friends claimed the majority of my time for the last two weeks of summer, while roller derby and work claimed whatever free time remained… (Well… I guess both the excuse and reason are pretty much the same XP) Then school started, and I was busy with school work and what-not… My friends still demanding much of my time…_

_Not to mention, we had to put my cat down, so I've been in a bit of a state of depression. On top of that I got bronchitis again. How? My mom had it, and I was taking care of her… I managed to stay health for about a week helping her out, and then I washed her sheets. The next day I'm coughing my lungs out and feel like I'm going to pass out…_

_Anywho, enjoy the chapter!_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

Dannika stumbled into her room, falling face first onto her bed. Her white hair fell around her shoulders as her bright green eyes slid closed. Bruises adorned her body as well as various cuts and gauges. As exhaustion overtook her, a white ring appeared around her middle, transforming her back into a human girl of fourteen. A week had passes since Mayor Foley had offered his new apartment as a base for the three teenagers to use freely. In that time, Dannika had trained every night for five hours a night with Danielle. The ghost-girl rose to the challenge whenever a fiendish spirit dared show its face in Amity Park. So far, the five agreed to keep these little battles as secret as was possible. Tucker, having had to keep Danny's secret and fight undercover battles with the ghost boy as a teenager, was the expert in this area. He accompanied the trio on their patrols, coaching them in the ways of "fighting in the shadows." The Mayor also hacked into Danny's computer and copied all the ghost files the man had onto his PDA and transferred them to a main computer in the apartment for the trio to use. Dannika had printed out the files to study on her free time at the insistence of Danielle. Those files currently lay tucked away in a binder in her backpack.

As the minutes ticked by, Dannika's alarm went off, forcing her eyes open. She squinted at the glowing red light, waiting for her eyes to adjust. 8:51 am. Where did the time go? Letting her exhaustion show in the form of a groan, Dannika slapped her hand down on the snooze and buried her face in her sheets. Moments later, there was a knock at her door. "Dannika! Sweet heart! I have the most lovely dress for you to wear today!" It was Pamela Manson. Dannika leapt from her bed and dashed into her bathroom. Throwing herself at the tub, she quickly turned on the water and started the shower. The water sputtered a moment before it rained down on top of the girl. She desperately suppressed a cry of alarm as she back peddled toward the bathroom door. Flicking water from her face, she pressed her ear against the hard wood, listening to her grandmother's progression on the other side. There was a low creak as her bedroom door swung open and a gentle pit-pat as Pamela's high-heeled feet walked across her floor. There was a pause in which Dannika presumed her grandmother set the dress down somewhere in the bedroom. Then the pit-pat started up again, coming closer, growing louder. She was coming toward the bathroom! Dannika dove into the shower, tearing the curtain closed around her. As she huddled on the bathtub's floor, the warm water soaking into her grungy clothes, a knock sounded on the door, followed by Pamela's angelic tone. "Dannika, sweetheart! I set out a dress for you to wear to the funeral! It's on your bed! Oh, and the car will leave in an hour! So be sure you're ready!" Dannika held her breath a moment, listening. When she was certain the woman had left, she released a sigh of relief. Then reality came knocking. Today was the funeral. It was a bittersweet reminder. She'd be able to see her family again, but the gathering in which it would happen was not such a pleasant one. Slowly, she stood, ripping off her clothes and throwing them overtop the shower curtain. No point in scaring anyone with her vulgar appearance.

Stepping out of the shower, Dannika grabbed her concealer from the bathroom counter and sauntered to the full body mirror in her bedroom. She set to work, smearing the cream over every scratch and bruise. It did the trick for many of the minor cuts and cruises. The rest she could only try to cover up with clothing. As she was getting ready, her mind wondered to a conversation she had had with Nick only days ago. He and Tiffany worried about her so much. She should be grateful, and, internally, she was. But when they tried to take care of her, it only made her want to try and show them she could take care of herself.

"_Your grandpa's funeral is coming up, isn't it?"_ Nick had inquired.

"_That's right,"_ was all Dannika had said to confirm.

"_Do you want me to go with you?"_ he had offered. _"For moral support,"_

Now, Dannika was wishing she had accepted his offer. She wanted to believe she could do anything. She wanted _them_ to believe she could do anything. But the truth of the matter was she could hardly do anything. She was so incompetent it was laughable! She hadn't succeeded in fighting any of the ghosts they'd come across that week. Every time, they had had to come to her rescue. And she wasn't getting any better at controlling her powers or fighting, for that matter! She was the worst fighter possible! She kept freezing up. Her aim was always off. She'd try to go intangible and shoot an ectoblast from her palm instead! She wasn't cut out for this, and she knew it! _So why am I even trying?_ she wondered, pulling the dress her grandmother had set out for her on over her head. It was a simple, sleeveless, black gown, with a low V-neck. The right side of the skirt cut off mid-thigh, angling off to fall just below her left knee. As the soft satin collapsed around her, a small charm fell from the folds and to the floor. She stooped to pick it up, the thin silver chain of the necklace entangling around her fingers. It was a DP charm. Her father's symbol. Silently, she slipped the necklace around her neck and continued on. From her closet, she pulled out a pair of plain, black flats and slipped them onto her bare feet. Going back to the bathroom, she painted a thin line of liquid eye-liner on her lower and upper lids. Putting the eye-liner away, she grabbed her mascara and applied it lightly to the eyelashes closer to the inner corner of her eye and more heavily toward the outer corner. Eye make-up done, she dabbed some lip gloss on and touched up her bruises and cuts one last time before heading out.

As she walked down the long hallway of the second floor, Dannika noticed a nurse leaving a room. There were so many rooms in this house, and the girl hadn't bothered with exploring the building much, so she wasn't aware of what this room was. She watched the nurse head down the hall and disappear down the stairs before turning and peering into the room. It was a pretty ordinary bedroom. A dresser against the wall to the left, a closet to the right, a bed against the center of the far wall. The only thing setting it apart was the occupant. It was an old woman, laying in the bed with an IV hooked up to her arm. If it weren't for the heart monitor's steady _beep… beep… beep…_ Dannika would presume the woman to be dead.

"What are you doing in here?!"

Dannika jumped, spinning around to find the nurse hovering behind her. Unconsciously, the girl had wondered into the room and was now standing over the old lady. She hadn't even noticed her own movements. "I was just –"

"Get out!" the nurse snapped. "Mistress Manson doesn't need to be disturbed from her rest! You insolent child! Have you no respect for the elderly? Can you not see how frail she is?"

With the nurse's scorn on her back, Dannika bolted out of the room, running down the stairs and out to the car. Some things in this world were better off undiscovered…

"He was a father like no other. Sure, he had his blunders and he could be a real idiot sometimes, but he cared and he tried. What more could anyone ask for?"

Dannika barely heard her father's words echoing around her. Truth be told, she was trying not to hear them. Just before the ceremony had started, Danielle and Tucker had pulled her aside. _"This could be the moment that makes or breaks your father. If you say or do anything to turn the public against him here, it could be just the nudge the Guys In White need to abduct him." _The funeral was supposed to be a private gathering, but just about every reporter was waiting outside to snag the family on an off moment. Dannika was certain some had found a way to eavesdrop on what was going inside the church as well. Maybe there were even spies inside the church. She just had to keep her mouth shut, bow her head, mourn her grandfather and be on her way.

"It's a tragedy he should have left us as he did: shot down by the one enemy he'd been fighting his entire life. I only wish I could have been there to help him. Maybe then he would still be here with us today."

"I only wish I could have been there to help him." The words echoed through Dannika's head, and, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't banish them. "I only wish I could have been there…" "Maybe then he would still be here with us…" Old feelings were stirred, and the girl couldn't stop herself. "He would still be here with us!" she cried out from her seat. All eyes were suddenly upon her, but the girl's fury made her unconcerned about the attention. "You're always running off! You knew the ghosts were still attacking us, and you still left us! I only wish I could have been there?" she mocked. "You are so full of it! You keep telling everyone that all you want to do is help, but all you ever do is run! You say it's your job now! You have to follow what the Guys in White tell you to do! But you're just their pawn! A mindless drone, and that's all you'll ever be!" Her anger was boiling over. Six years of suppressed distain finally pouring out of her. "I embarrassed to be related to you!" Her hand clasped around the pendant hanging from her neck. Ripping it outward until the chain broke, she chucked it across the room as hard as she could. It landed just short of the podium her father stood behind.

All had fallen silent, and, her anger spent, Dannika was aware of what she had just done. Without saying another word, she made her way past the congregation and out into the hall. She would await her punishment there.

**Author's Notes**

_So, Dannika finally lost it. Hehe. Thank you, TheBroadRoad for your wonderful input and idea! I had a lot of fun with this!_

_Now, in case you're wondering about the title of this chapter "Death's Lullaby", no, no music was really played in this chapter. What the title is referring to is Dannika's speech and the silence following. It is not the song played in remembrance of Jack, it is the sound of Danny's death march – the very thing that could send him to the examination table in the Guys In White's layer._

_Comments are loved!_


	16. Solutions and Salutations

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**Solutions and Salutations**_

**Author's Introduction**

_Tada! Next chapter! I'm getting better about getting these done (even though this still isn't on time..)_

**Disclaimer**

_Danny Phantom, and all related characters, belong to Nickelodeon_

_Dannika Fenton, and all related OC's, belong to me._

* * *

A grandfather clock rang three, the chimes echoing through the church. The sound rang in Dannika's ears, her gaze fixated on the reporters gossiping outside. The girl sat, perched on a piano bench. Her back was turned on the room she had just came from. She could hear the murmurings from the mourners, knew many were confused, some even angered, by her outburst. She would have an earful from Mayor Foley and Danielle soon enough. For now, she could let her anger simmer out and keep herself from blowing up on those two…

Lost in her own thoughts as she was, Dannika didn't hear the approaching footsteps. She nearly jumped out of her seat when the intruder spoke. "Harsh pretty was that." Dannika spun around to find a pair of large, innocent hazel eyes staring at her through a curtain of dirty blonde hair.

"Jeezes, Wulfie!" the girl gasped, her hand flying to her chest, silently willing it to slow in its rapid beating. "I didn't even know you were here? Who invited you?"

The boy took three steps forward, taking a seat on the bench next to Dannika. "Us invited she. Mom your hired dad my."

Dannika could only stare as she tried to process what the boy had just said. Something about her mom hiring his dad? Or was it his dad hiring her mom? That sounded more likely… Sam had only just gotten a job… "What does your dad do again?"

"It of heard probably have you. Thumb Grean. Side the on nursery small a runs he but, journalist a is he," George Wulf explained. Once again, Dannika was impressed with how smoothly the boy could speak every sentence backwards. Her brows knitted together as she tried to turn the words around in her head and make sense of his ramblings, causing an adorable little grin to spread across Wulfie's face. "Hard so try you do why?"

For once, Dannika was able to understand what he said. "Well, it takes some thought to understand you!"

Wulfie shook his head, muttering "Mean I what not is that…" He turned so he faced Dannika. She didn't understand it, but the motion caused her to feel uncomfortable and squeamish. She began fiddling with her fingers, avoiding eye contact. "There in happened what?"

Dannika shook her head, folding her arms in her lap. Her gaze wondered back out the window as she thought about what she should say. How much could he possibly understand? Even if she told him everything, what could he possibly understand? What he could he possibly know about what she was going through? "You've heard the rumors, haven't you?"

"Town the abandoned has dad your that?" Wulfie suggested.

Dannika stared at him a moment before shaking her head. "God, I can't understand you!" she complained. "Okay, look. Everyone's lost faith in him, and a few weeks ago, I probably would have argued his case. But things have changed!" Her emotions were getting the best of her. She turned to face George, pulling her leg up on the bench so she could look the boy in the eye. She could feel it welling up inside her. Everything was coming out, whether she wanted it to or not. But, when her eyes met his calm, green and brown… She couldn't bring herself to say any of it. Wulfie was the only person who had never said anything about her dad or family. He was the first person outside of her trio that didn't want information out of her. How could she bad mouth her dad to him? "Look, things are just complicated. I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't trust my dad anymore… I'm just scared…"

Wulfie's eyes were gentle, concerned. He took her hand in both of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. All he wanted was to take away her pain. Take away her sorrow. So he chose a sentence that would be easy to understand. "Everyone is so." When Dannika lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes were brimming with the tears she tried so hard to hide. It was too much for the boy's heart to take. He pulled the poor girl into his arms, holding her tight to him. "Okay is it," he whispered. "Okay is it. Out it let."

Dannika's shoulders began to shake as the tears poured down her face. She clutched at the back of Wulfie's shirt, all pride forgotten. "None of this would be happening if he were still here…" she whimpered. "I just feel so alone… No one understands!"

Wulfie gently rubbed his hand along the girl's back. "Okay is it," he repeated. "Alone not are you. That remember just. Alone not are you."

Dannika probably would have been perfectly content staying like that until her tears ran out, but reality always came back around. The sound of a door swinging shut and the chatter of mourners brought the girl back to her senses. She quickly pulled away from George Wulf, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Thanks Wulfie…" she muttered awkwardly. "Eh… I should go…" She slapped her hands on the bench, looking at the crowd of people just behind the boy. She caught sight of Tucker and Danielle, her gaze meeting the woman's. "Yeah, better go…" Before George could say another word, Dannika was on her feet and walking away.

Danielle and Tucker stood away from the rest of the crowd, waiting for Dannika. Her steps slowed as she neared the two, preparing a flurry of excuses. Before she could utter a word, Danielle held up her hand, stopping her. "I don't want to hear it. I just hope you've gotten out all that you need to, because this will NOT be repeated." She pulled out a small, black book from her purse and handed it to the teen. "You need to get your emotions out in a healthy manner. Right now, you're just bottling everything up. I want you to write your feelings down and get them out in this book. That way you don't go blowing up on your father anymore."

Dannika took the book from the woman, looking at it critically. "Thought that up all on your own, did you?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, actually," Danielle admitted. Her gaze wondered to the crowd, picking out a spunky red-head from the mix. "Your aunt, Jasmine, she suggested it."

Jasmine? One thought swirled through Dannika's mind. One concern. "You told her?" the teen accused. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone! You're supposed to be helping me get rid of these useless powers after all of this blows over!"

"Get rid of them?" Tucker guffawed. "Why would you want to get rid of them?"

The girls ignored the mayor. "I didn't tell anyone," Dannielle objected. "Jasmine was simply concerned for your well being. Sam talks to her often about what happens. This isn't the first time Jazz has suggested a journal for you, it's just the first time anyone's taken her up on the offer."

Dannika wasn't entirely convinced. She didn't trust Danielle. Why should she? She'd only known the woman for little over two weeks. "I'm going to find Tiffany…" she decided, turning to go.

"No need," Danielle interjected. "You're friend's over flirting with your cousin." She pointed to a far corner where the girl in question stood hopelessly flirting with a tall brunette. The sight of her best friend trying to seduce her cousin at a time like this felt like a stab in the back. Dannika swore if she looked down at that moment, she would find the tip of a knife's blade poking out from her chest. _Way to kick a girl while she's down…_

"Fine," Dannika muttered. "I'm going home…" With that, she walked away, out of the church, past the pesky reporters, and down the road toward her grandparents' house. She didn't want to be near anyone. Especially not those who knew her secret.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_So we're starting to see some more relationships in this chapter, and Dannika's letting her guard down a little (at least when no one's looking, that is). Jazz and Ben might have more involvement in the story later on… I have a few ideas for them spinning around my little brain, but not sure if I should use them or not… We'll see if I can squeeze them in anywhere…_

_Comments are loved!_


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